


I'll Be Your Family (When Your Times Get Hard)

by doctornineandthreequarters



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Fake Marriage, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Feelings Realization, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Idiots in Love, M/M, Slow Burn, Soft Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Soft Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz, no beta we die like the guy in the plane crash who's wife was pregnant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-17 03:54:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 22,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29586846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doctornineandthreequarters/pseuds/doctornineandthreequarters
Summary: Eddie knew his job was dangerous. He knew there were always chances that he didn’t come home. And, because he had been in the army before, Eddie had never really considered what that would mean for Christopher. What would happen to Christopher if he got hurt on the job? Who would take care of him if Eddie was stuck in the hospital or worse, in a coma? And who would be there for his son if something awful did happen and he didn’t come home?---Or, after Eddie gets hurt on the job, he realizes he needs to sort some things out so Christopher is always taken care of.
Relationships: Christopher Diaz & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan "Buck" Buckley & Christopher Diaz & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan "Buck" Buckley & Maddie Buckley, Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Comments: 228
Kudos: 663





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Shout-out to Fern who's been yelling at me to post this story for awhile.

Eddie let out a long sigh as he sat down on the couch. The shift felt like it was never-ending. All Eddie wanted to do was go home, hug Christopher, and sleep for a million years. 

“You alright?” Buck had joined him on the couch, bumping his shoulder as he sat down next to Eddie. Eddie just sighed and shrugged. “Yeah, it’s just one of those shifts.” Eddie just nodded, another sigh bubbling over. “Hey, did I tell you about this article I read the other day?” Eddie shook his head and Buck jumped in, dumping the information he had learned on Eddie. And Eddie couldn’t help but relax. 

He wasn’t sure how Buck always managed to do that, make him relax when he was feeling wound up, but he did. Somehow, the younger male was attuned to him in ways that always surprised Eddie. And if he was a different person, he’d notice that more and maybe assess what that meant. 

But he had literally joined a fight club instead of dealing with his anger issues, so he obviously had a rough time processing emotions. 

“You sure you’re okay?” Buck asked, when he had finally finished rattling off what he had learned. “You know you can talk to me, about anything.”

“I know,” Eddie said with a sigh. “I’m just tired. And all I really want is to go home, hug my kid, and sleep.”

“Yeah well a hug from Chris would make just about anything better.” Eddie nodded with a smile. The alarm went off then and Eddie sighed heavily before following Buck down the stairs. Bobby was calling instructions as he grabbed his gear. He then quickly made his way over to the truck, nodding to Buck who had held the door open for him. 

On the ride over, Eddie listened as Bobby spoke with dispatch. It was a fire at an apartment building and it sounded like it was going to be rough. It also sounded like, even though their shift was over in an hour, they were going to be there for awhile. Eddie just fought back a sigh as he dug his phone out of his pocket. His Abuela was at the house with Christopher, so he sent her a quick text saying he would be late and then tucked the phone away. Clearly, wanting to go home meant that his shift would be longer. And while that made Eddie feel like crap, he needed to push past that in order to do his job. 

Also, the shoulder bump he got from Buck when they arrived at the scene helped him focus as well. 

“Alright,” Bobby said, once the crew had assembled outside of the trucks. “Chim, Hen help the 104 with patients already out of the building. Anderson, Wells take the upper flows. Buckley, Diaz, you two take the lower floors. Alright? Radios on and stay vigilant people.” Eddie glanced at Buck, who nodded before they headed into the building. 

Eddie focused back in as they made their way up the stairs to the second floor, shouting for anyone left in the building. As they moved, Eddie did his best to focus on the job and not the exhaustion seeping through his bones. 

Maybe if he had been less exhausted, he would’ve noticed how fragile the floors were. Maybe he would’ve heard the creaking or felt small pieces falling away. 

But he didn’t. So he could only let out a shout as the floor fell away around him. 

“Eddie!” Buck’s voice was the last thing he heard before everything went dark.

* * *

“Eds?” Eddie shifted a little, biting back a groan as his eyes slowly opened. He moved again and he felt a hand come up to his shoulder. “Easy, alright?” His eyes adjusted to the offending bright light allowing him to look around. He cleared his throat, confused as to why he was in a hospital room. 

“What…” Eddie started, but stopped when he saw Buck. Buck looked exhausted, like he hadn’t slept at all. His normally perfectly coiffed hair was messy, like he had run his hand through it far too many times. And he was watching Eddie with a concerned look on his face. “What happened?”

“The, uh, apartment fire on Figueroa.” Then, it all came back to Eddie; the fire, the loosening floorboards, and him tumbling downwards.”

“The floor,” Eddie said and Buck nodded. 

“It, uh…” Buck sniffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “It just gave way. You were falling before I could grab your arm.” Eddie just nodded. “Eddie…”

“Buck, it’s fine,” Eddie said, seeing the regret on Buck’s face. He was sure that Buck was beating himself up for not keeping Eddie from getting hurt. But that was a part of their job sometimes and he didn’t want Buck to think that any of this was his fault. Buck went to say something, but Eddie quickly cut him off. “What’s my prognosis?”

“Mild concussion, sprained shoulder, and bruising,” Buck said and Eddie raised an eyebrow. “You, uh, hit a mattress in an apartment on the first floor. Cushioned your fall, I guess. The doctor said you were really lucky.” Eddie just nodded, before realizing something. 

“Have you been in here the whole time?” Eddie asked. 

“Uh sort of,” Buck said. “I was stuck out in the waiting room with everyone for a while, since they were only letting family in. But then your Abuela showed up and kind of bullied the nurse into letting me sit in here.”

“My Abuela’s here?” Eddie asked. “Did you call her?” Buck nodded. “Is she here at the hospital? And where’s…” Eddie’s line of questions stopped short when the door opened. 

“Dad!” Christopher was at the door of the room, tears streaming down his face. He moved as quickly as he could to Eddie’s bedside. “Dad, I was so scared!”

“Oh mijo,” Eddie said softly. He glanced at Buck and nodded to the bed. Buck lifted Christopher up and gently placed him down next to Eddie, before taking his crutches and setting them down. Christopher sniffed and looked at him, almost as if he was afraid to even touch him. “Come here.” Eddie wrapped his arms around Christopher, pulling him close. A sob ripped through Christopher before he buried his face in Eddie’s hospital gown. 

“Your Captain came by the house,” Isabel said as she moved to stand next to Buck. “He was coming to give us a ride to the hospital but…” She glanced down at Christopher, a sad look on her face. 

“I thought something bad happened to you,” Christopher said, looking up at Eddie. “I thought...I thought I lost you like mom.” Eddie let out a breath before hugging his son tightly, not caring if it hurt him. He pressed a kiss to the top of his son’s head. 

“I’m okay,” Eddie said, trying to assure his son. “I’m okay, I promise.” Christopher just nodded, hugging Eddie a little more. And Eddie just rested his head on the mounds of curls on the top of his son’s hair, hoping it was enough to comfort his son, hoping it was enough to scare away the possibilities of nightmares. 

* * *

Eddie sighed as he shifted slightly in the hospital bed. He had to stay a little longer while the doctor finished some tests. Eddie just wanted to go home where he could be in his own bed. He glanced down, Christopher fast asleep against him. His son had refused to leave his side, which Eddie was personally fine with, even if the doctor gave him a look.

He knew his son probably was going to be scared when he heard that he got hurt on the job. But he couldn’t get those words Christopher had said out of his head. 

_ I thought you were gone like mom _ . 

Eddie knew his job was dangerous. He knew there were always chances that he didn’t come home. And, because he had been in the army before, Eddie had never really considered what that would mean for Christopher. What would happen to Christopher if he got hurt on the job? Who would take care of him if Eddie was stuck in the hospital or worse, in a coma? And who would be there for his son if something awful did happen and he didn’t come home?

“Nieto.” He looked away from Christopher towards his Abuela, who was sitting by his bedside. Since Christopher had been clinging to Eddie’s side, his Abuela agreed they would stay at the hospital. Buck had wanted to stay but Eddie had insisted he go home and sleep in his own bed because Buck looked exhausted. And as much as it made him feel better to have Buck there, he knew it was better for Buck to go home. “Are you alright?”

“Just worried about him,” Eddie said with a sigh, glancing back at Christopher. “And who takes care of him if…”

“Don’t think like that, nieto.”

“I have to, Abuela,” Eddie said with a sigh. “He already lost his mom. I need to know that he’s taken care of. And not just if I’m gone but if something like this happens again. I need to know that he’s loved and cared for, even if I’m not there.”

“So how are you going to do that?” She asked with a small sigh. Eddie glanced at Christopher. He shifted slightly in his sleep, a frown appearing on his face, and Eddie tightened his hold on his son, trying to let him know that he was there. He pressed a kiss to his son’s head and that seemed to help Christopher settle, the frown slipping away. Eddie just sighed and glanced back at his Abuela. He thought about her question, about what he was going to do to make sure Christopher was taken care of.

“I don’t know,” He said quietly. He’d have to wrack his brain for something. And maybe it was because of the concussion that he couldn’t think of anything at the moment. So, he just sighed and let his head rest against the pillow. 

He’d think of something later, but for now, he’d just have to rest. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He spent most of that time thinking about how to make sure his son was taken care of. He did some research as well. According to what he read, if a child was left parentless due to tragedy or loss of life, then he was put in custody to the family members made his guardians. And it took Eddie some time to figure it out (and a phone call to Adriana) for Eddie to learn that his parents were those guardians. 

Eddie was given two weeks off work to recover. He didn’t love it but between the concussion and the shoulder sprain, he knew it was necessary.

The first day he was home, his Abuela and Pepa flitted around the house, making sure Eddie had what he needed and was resting, all while Christopher clung to his side. They made him enough food to last him way longer than the two weeks he would be stuck at home. After the first day, Carla was there too, sticking to her usual schedule. His second day home, when Christopher had to go back to school, was a bit of a fight. Christopher didn’t want to leave Eddie’s side which broke his heart a little. But between him and Carla, and many promises (both for pizza and ice cream and that Eddie would be okay), he eventually went to school.

Part of being laid-up for two weeks meant Eddie had a lot of time to think. Especially because he spent most of the day alone. Carla came over in the morning, to help get Christopher to school, but then went to help other clients. She always returned, when she brought Christopher home, but those hours in between? Eddie was alone. And since he was alone and meant to be resting, then it meant he was also alone with his thoughts. 

He spent most of that time thinking about how to make sure his son was taken care of. He did some research as well. According to what he read, if a child was left parentless due to tragedy or loss of life, then he was put in custody of the family members made his guardians. And it took Eddie some time to figure it out (and a phone call to Adriana) for Eddie to learn that his parents were those guardians. 

Now, Eddie loved his parents, he did. But, he and Christopher had established a life for themselves in Los Angeles. This was their home and if something happened to him, then his parents would just bring Christopher back to El Paso. And Eddie didn’t want that. 

So, he’d need someone else to be Christopher’s guardian, just in case something ever happened to him.

His sisters also lived in El Paso, which eliminated them. Then there was his Abuela, who Eddie knew would always have Christopher’s best interest at heart. But she was older and had already suffered one broken hip while watching after Christopher. So, she wasn’t the right choice. There was always Pepa, but he had a weird feeling she wouldn’t agree to that. Carla was an option but Eddie felt like that would be asking a lot of her. And she had a family of her own. 

Which left only one person, who really should’ve been Eddie’s first choice. 

“Hey Eds?” He was sitting in the kitchen, staring at a now cold cup of tea. He heard Buck’s footsteps and looked up just as he entered the kitchen. “You alright?”

“Just thinking,” Eddie said, pushing the mug away. He noticed a few grocery bags that Buck had set on the counter. “What’s that?”

“Well I know getting Chris to go to school has been an uphill battle lately,” Buck said. “And I know you’ve had to promise him a lot of pizza for him to go. So, I thought I’d save your wallet a little and bring over stuff to make pizzas.” 

“Thank you for that,” Eddie said. Buck nodded as he started putting the groceries away. “You know, Christopher was clingy the second time I came back from overseas, but it was never this bad.”

“Well, he was scared,” Buck pointed out, taking the mug away from Eddie and dumping it into the sink.

“Yeah it’s his fear that I can’t get over,” Eddie said with a sigh. “That worry that he’s going to be alone if anything ever happened to me.”

“Eds, you can’t think that.”

“I have to, Buck,” Eddie said. “My kid was terrified because I got hurt on the job. He was terrified that I was gone. And then he was terrified that I wasn’t coming home. And our job is unpredictable, so I need to make sure my son is taken care of. He needs a guardian in case something happens to me.”

“Wouldn’t that be someone in your family?” Buck asked, sitting down across from Eddie.

“My parents would take Christopher back to Texas,” Eddie said. “And I want Christopher to stay here with someone who knows what’s best for him without coddling him.” Buck just watched him, tilting his head a little. Eddie took a breath, knowing that he just needed to ask Buck, instead of putting it off. “I want you to be Christopher’s guardian.”

“What?” Buck’s eyebrows kissed his hairline, shock on his face. “Eddie…”

“Buck, I meant what I said after the tsunami,” Eddie said, continuing on. “There is no one I trust more with my son than you. You always have his best interest in mind. Hell, you brought over ingredients to make pizza with him. And I just need to know that he’s taken care of if anything happens to me.”

“You’re...you’re sure?” Buck asked, a softness to his voice. Eddie smiled and nodded. “Wow. Um...I’m honored and confused. But mostly honored.” Eddie chuckled.

“So that’s a yes?”

“Yes.” Eddie smiled. Buck should’ve been the first person he thought of for this matter. But Buck had said yes and that meant more than Eddie could ever describe. “Is there, like, paperwork regarding this?”

“Probably,” Eddie said with a chuckle. “I’ll figure it out and let you know.” Buck nodded, a small smile on his face. That little smile, it moved something in him, something that hadn’t moved in awhile. But Buck was his best friend and had just agreed to be his son’s guardian. Now was not the time to deal with any of that. “So, pizza?” Buck nodded, getting up and explaining his plan. 

Eddie listened, a smile on his face. He still had a lot to figure out regarding this whole matter. But at least for now, he could relax a little. 

At least for now, he could feel like things were okay.

* * *

“What do you mean I can’t just change it?” Eddie scrubbed his hand down his face, his phone pressed to his ear. He was on the phone with a lawyer who specialized in custody and guardianship. Unfortunately, he wasn’t getting the answers he wanted. 

“ _Well you said your parents are currently your son’s guardians_ ,” The lawyer explained. “ _In order to change the guardianship, they would need to give up their rights towards your son_.”

“Damn it,” Eddie mumbled under his breath. He knew his parents. If they knew what he was up to, they would shut him down immediately. They had already tried to have Christopher come live with them and that had been when he was still in Texas. If they knew he was planning for the worst, they would insist that Christopher was better off with them, when that was far from the truth. “There’s no way around this?”

“ _Well there is one way around it_.” Eddie perked up a little at that. “ _A spouse or partner could be named your son’s guardian over your parents_.”

“So you’re saying I’d have to get married?” Eddie asked, swallowing a little. 

“ _Not technically_ ,” The lawyer explained. “ _The state of California has something called domestic partnerships. They were established before same-sex marriage was made legal, but they still exist. It essentially makes a significant other your legal partner. And from there, your partner could be made your son’s guardian_.”

“Okay,” Eddie said, feeling a weird fluttering in his stomach. “I appreciate the help.”

“ _Of course. And if you need someone to help you through the domestic partnership paperwork, I’m more than happy to help_.”

“Right. Thank you.” The call ended and Eddie let out a long sigh. In order for him to make Buck a guardian for Christopher, they would have to enter a domestic partnership. 

Now, that was going to be a weird conversation.

* * *

Buck could tell something was up with Eddie. He had a certain look on his face since Buck had shown up at Eddie’s house. But between their plans for takeout and video games, along with Christopher telling Buck about everything that had happened at school that day, Buck hadn’t been able to pry. But now, a few hours after he had arrived, Christopher was fast asleep between them.

“Hey.” Buck kept his voice quiet, so he didn’t wake up Christopher. Eddie looked away from the movie on the screen. “Are you okay?” Eddie sighed and Buck tilted his head. Eddie got up, careful to not jostle Christopher and nodded towards the kitchen. Buck followed after him, curious what was going on with his best friend.

“So you know how I asked you to be Christopher’s guardian?” Eddie asked. Buck nodded, fighting back the smile that threatened to bubble up. He adored Christopher and he knew that was obvious. But having Eddie trust him so much that he wanted Buck to be Christopher’s guardian? Something about that just filled Buck with an indescribable happiness. “Well, it turns out that the only way to change who a child’s guardian is would be to have the original guardians give up their rights.”

“Oh.” Eddie sighed. 

“There’s no way my parents would do that,” Eddie said, leaning back against the kitchen counter. 

“Well there’s gotta be something else you can do,” Buck said. Eddie just watched him, pursing his lips. “I mean, this is important to you Eds. I’m sure I can help you come up with a solution.”

“There, um…” Buck noticed a nervous look cross Eddie’s face. “There is one more option.” Buck raised an eyebrow and Eddie cleared his throat. “There’s uh...this thing called a domestic partnership.”

“A domestic partnership?”

“It’s sort of like a marriage,” Eddie said. “Without the whole ceremony and all that. But with a domestic partnership, the legal rights are mostly the same as they would be for a marriage.” Buck nodded, feeling his heart beat a little faster. What Eddie was suggesting, it was a lot more than just Buck being Christopher’s guardian.

“I…” Buck was about to say something when Christopher’s voice interrupted them.

“Dad?”

“I should probably go put him down,” Eddie said, avoiding looking at Buck. “I’ll, uh, be right back.” He quickly left the kitchen and Buck let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He wanted to help Eddie. And he had been honored when Eddie asked him to be Christopher’s guardian. But a domestic partnership was a lot more than that. 

The problem wasn’t the idea of the domestic partnership. Buck was more than okay with that. But then again, Buck had very complicated feelings towards Eddie. They were best friends, but sometimes it felt like they could be more. But Buck wasn’t sure if he was ready for a relationship. And he definitely wasn’t ready for the chance that acting on his feelings could ruin his friendship with Eddie or make him lose Eddie and Christopher.

But Eddie needed his help. And Buck would do just about anything for Eddie.

“Chris is down for the count,” Eddie said as he walked back into the kitchen. “Look Buck, about the domestic partnership…”

“I’ll do it.” Eddie raised his eyebrows at that. “I mean, you want me to be Christopher’s guardian and this is the way to do it.”

“Are you sure?” Buck felt his stomach flip a little. What he was saying yes to was only going to make his feelings even more complicated. But Eddie was asking Buck to do this because he trusted him, because he and Eddie were best friends. So, he could push down those feelings to help his friend. 

“Absolutely.” He was doing this to help his friend and a kid he adored. Nothing more, nothing less. 

He could totally handle this.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “This is a little more complicated than just paperwork,” Buck pointed out. “I mean, people who file domestic partnerships are usually in a relationship.”
> 
> “Uh right,” Eddie said and maybe Buck was imagining it, but he thought he saw a blush cross Eddie’s cheeks. 

“So how are we going to do this?” Buck and Eddie were sitting on the couch in Eddie’s living room, a beer in their hands.

“Well the domestic partnership just involves some paperwork,” Eddie said, sipping his beer.

“This is a little more complicated than just paperwork,” Buck pointed out. “I mean, people who file domestic partnerships are usually in a relationship.”

“Uh right,” Eddie said and maybe Buck was imagining it, but he thought he saw a blush cross Eddie’s cheeks. 

“And if we enter into a domestic partnership, we’ll have to tell Bobby.”

“Right.” There was an awkward silence between them. “Is this the right idea? Like, I know I brought the idea to the table but…”

“Eds,” Buck said, cutting him off. He could see Eddie starting to panic a little, could see the way he twisted the beer bottle around in his hands and how he held tension in his shoulders. “We’re doing this for Christopher, right?” Eddie nodded. “Well, in order to do that, we have to work out some details.”

“Like what?” Eddie asked, some of the tension slipping away.

“Like what we tell people,” Buck said. “I mean, we can’t just file for a domestic partnership without answering a few questions.”

“That would mean telling people we’re in a relationship,” Eddie said. “Even though, uh, we’re not.” Eddie fidgeted with the bottle, which Buck eyed. When Eddie saw that Buck was staring, he put the beer bottle down. “Buck…”

“I asked you out, obviously.” Eddie raised an eyebrow. “For our story, I asked you out.” Eddie swallowed a little. 

“And uh, how long have we been together?” Eddie asked. 

“A few months,” Buck said.

“And we’re filing for a domestic partnership because…”

“When you know, you know,” Buck said with a shrug. Eddie just nodded. “We can make this work, Eds.” 

“I suppose that means you’ll have to move in here,” Eddie pointed out. “Since it probably wouldn’t make sense to, you know, have you living somewhere else.”

“Right,” Buck said, his heart jumping at the idea of living with Eddie. “Well, you know, Albert’s been staying with me, so I can probably have him sublet the place.” Eddie nodded again.

“We’re, uh, we’re really doing this, huh?” Buck looked at him, considering his words. He could tell the whole idea of this was freaking Eddie out. And Buck was freaking out too. Because even though he was essentially getting something he really wanted, it wasn’t at all meant to be romantic. He was doing this to be helpful. He was doing this because Eddie had asked him to.

“Well we’re already partners at work,” Buck said with a shrug. “Might as well, you know…”

“Be partners outside of work?” Eddie asked and Buck nodded. He reached for his beer and tipped it towards Buck. “Well then, cheers to making this work.” Buck clinked his bottle against Eddie’s before taking a sip. Buck was going to make this work, even if he had to swallow down his own feelings. 

He could totally do that.

* * *

Buck sighed as he heard a knocking at the door. He had just been boxing up some of his stuff. Albert had been totally gung-ho for taking over Buck’s lease, saying his mother could help with the rent until he got a job. And Buck’s landlord was cool with the switch too, since Buck had been a great tenant. So, now he just had to pack. 

Most of his kitchen items he was leaving. Eddie already had dishes and silverware. Buck had a really nice blender and knives that Bobby had gotten him last Christmas, so those he was bringing. But everything else in the kitchen he could leave behind. Same with his couch and TV. He didn’t need to bring that stuff when Eddie had a set up living room. He was bringing his playstation, since Eddie had an Xbox and variety was good. 

It was still weird that he was moving in with Eddie. But then again, this whole plan was weird. And maybe not so well thought out. But they were doing this for Christopher. It was all for Christopher and nothing else. No matter how much Buck’s heart jumped at the idea of being in a domestic partnership with Eddie. 

Another knock reminded him that someone was at his door and he walked over, opening it. 

“You’re moving out?” Maddie bustled into the apartment, her belly sticking out from under her maternity shirt.

“Hi to you too,” He said, closing the door. “And I’m assuming Albert told you.”

“Yes, Chimney’s little brother told me,” Maddie said with a huff. “And not my little brother.”

“Mads, it’s not that big of a deal.” She gave him a look, pursing her lips. 

“He said you’re leaving a bunch of stuff here,” Maddie said. “So, where are you moving? Because just a few weeks ago, you said you didn’t have a girlfriend.”

“I don’t.”

“Then where are you moving?” Maddie asked. “Because other than having Albert basically on top of you, this apartment is great. And if you need him out, Chim and I can help him find a place.”

“It’s not Albert,” Buck said with a sigh. She gave him a look. “I’m moving in with Eddie.”

“Come again?”

“I think I was pretty clear.” Maddie gave him a look. “What?”

“Why are you moving in with Eddie?” Maddie asked. Buck just sighed. “Buck, what is going on?”

“It’s complicated.” Maddie just gave him a look before sitting down at the dining room table. Buck leaned his head back, not wanting to get into this now. But knowing his sister, she was not just going to let this slide. 

“Eddie and I are together,” Buck said. “And that’s why I’m moving in with him.”

“No you’re not.” Buck raised an eyebrow. “You want me to believe that you’re finally dating the guy you’ve been in love with for years? And that you wouldn’t have said something to me when it finally happened?”

“I don’t tell you everything,” Buck countered and Maddie pursed her lips. “Maddie, I am telling you the truth. We’ve been dating for a few months and I spend so much time there that I might as well move in.” Maddie sighed, standing up as she did. 

“Well if you are telling me the truth,” Maddie began. “Then I’m happy for you.”

“You still don’t believe me.”

“Oh no I totally believe you’re in love with Eddie,” Maddie said, patting his arm. “I have since you started telling me about him when I moved here. But it feels like something else is going on here and I don’t know why you’re not being honest with me.”

“Please just trust me, Maddie,” Buck said, not wanting to get into the nitty gritty of the situation. He knew if Maddie knew what he was actually up to she would give him hell. Or worse, talk him out of it. 

“Okay,” She said. “But I don’t want to keep this from Howie.”

“We’re telling Bobby tomorrow,” Buck said. “So, if you want to tell him, then that’s fine.”

“I really hope you know what you’re doing Evan,” Maddie said softly before leaving the apartment. Buck let out a long sigh. He didn’t really know what he was doing. Except that he was doing this for Eddie and Christopher.

If he focused on that, maybe it wouldn’t feel like he was fooling himself into thinking this could be something more.

* * *

“So, how’s the packing going?” Buck and Eddie were standing in Eddie’s kitchen (though it would very soon be their kitchen and that thrilled and freaked Buck out more than he could say). Eddie was washing dishes from dinner as Buck leaned against the counter.

“It’s pretty easy,” Buck said with a shrug. “I’m leaving a lot of it behind since Albert’s subletting my place.” Eddie nodded. “Maddie did stop by today. Albert told her and Chim that I’m moving.”

“And what did you tell her?” Eddie asked, glancing up from the soapy water.

“What we’re going with,” Buck said. “That we’ve been together for a few months and this felt like the right next step.” Eddie nodded, Buck noticing a little tension in his shoulders. “We, uh, we could mention the accident from a few weeks ago.” Eddie glanced at him. “Look, Maddie didn’t totally believe me. But if we told people that after your accident a few weeks ago we wanted to make some big changes and be open about it, then they might buy that.”

“Right.” Eddie turned the water off, drying his hands. There was still a noticeable tension, now in his whole body. He was about to say something when Christopher came into the room. 

“I finished reading,” Christopher said with a smile. “Can we watch a movie now?” Eddie smiled, ruffling his son’s hair. 

“Sure,” Eddie said. “Go pick. We’ll join you in a second.” Christopher nodded and left the room. “We, uh, we still have to tell him.”

“Right,” Buck said. “Well, he’s your kid, so I let you take the lead.” Eddie just nodded. “We’ve got this Eddie. We’re partners, right?” A small smile crossed Eddie’s face, stirring something in Buck. 

“Yeah, we’re partners.” And then Eddie headed towards the living room. Buck let out a breath, reminding himself that he was doing this for a friend and that his feelings just needed to not exist.

* * *

Christopher looked back and forth between Eddie and Buck, his head tilted in adorable confusion. Eddie was sitting next to his son while Buck was perched on the coffee table.

“What do you mean Buck’s going to come live with us?” Christopher asked. Eddie fought back a sigh. Explaining this to Christopher made it more real. It meant that he and Buck were really doing this, even if there weren’t supposed to be romantic feelings involved. 

“He’s going to move in,” Eddie said. “And live here. With us.”

“So, Buck’s going to be here all the time?” Christopher asked. When Eddie nodded, Christopher smiled. But then, his face shifted to confusion. “But why? I mean, Buck’s the best, dad. But he hasn’t lived with us before. Why now?” Eddie shifted a little, feeling uncomfortable. He didn’t feel right lying to his kid. But they had a story to keep up. He glanced at Buck, who nodded. 

“Well, mijo, Buck and I are...well we’re partners.” Christopher tilted his head.

“So, you’re together?” Christopher asked. “Like Denny’s moms?”

“Yeah, kid,” Eddie said. “Like Denny’s moms.” Christopher just nodded, the smile returning. “Is that...is that okay with you?” As much as he was doing this for Christopher, he needed Christopher to be okay with it. His son had already lost so much. He couldn’t hurt his kid, after everything Christopher had been through. 

But then the boy grinned. 

“Yeah it’s okay with me, dad,” Christopher said, glancing at Buck with a grin. “Buck’s better in the kitchen than you anyways. Can we watch the movie now?” Eddie blinked twice, surprised at how okay Christopher was with the whole thing.

“Uh yeah, okay.” Eddie handed Christopher the remote as Buck moved, taking up the space on the other side of Christopher. As the movie started, Eddie glanced over at his son. The boy was happily watching the movie, completely unfazed by the fact that Eddie had just told him that he and Buck were partners. Even though he and Buck weren’t actually together, this was the first person he was ‘seeing’ after Shannon’s death. And Christopher was unbothered by it. 

And something about that made Eddie feel weird, like his stomach was on a roller coaster.

He felt someone watching him and he looked away from Christopher to find Buck’s eyes on him. Something about that had Eddie looking away quickly, trying to hide the blush creeping up on his cheeks. His heart was beating a little faster in his chest as he still felt Buck’s eyes on him. 

It reminded him how much he was changing everything with Buck. They were telling everyone they were together. They were going to be living together. They were filing for a domestic partnership. It freaked Eddie out not only how much things were changing but how everyone seemed fine with it. Buck had agreed to all of this like it was no big deal. Christopher seemed unfazed by the supposed change between him and Buck. 

So why was Eddie freaking out? Hadn’t this been his idea?

He glanced back at Buck, who’s eyes were now on the screen. Christopher had shifted slightly, pressed against Buck’s side. Buck’s hand was gently carding through the unruly curls on the top of Christopher’s head, the boy’s head lolling further into Buck’s side as his hand moved. It all felt so domestic and so right, like they were all meant to be here, together as a family. And as much as all of this was still freaking out, that sense of family for Christopher was why he had done this in the first place. 

So, even though he was freaking out internally, he was going to put on a brave face and deal with it all. After all, he was doing this for his son, not for himself. And if he focused on that fact, then maybe he could handle all of this change.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You ready for this?” Buck and Eddie were standing outside of Bobby’s office. Eddie had told Bobby that he needed to talk to him. His Captain had simply raised an eyebrow but told Eddie to come by his office in about five minutes. That had been exactly four and a half minutes ago. And after freaking out for two of those minutes, Eddie had grabbed Buck. 
> 
> “No time like the present.”

“You ready for this?” Buck and Eddie were standing outside of Bobby’s office. Eddie had told Bobby that he needed to talk to him. His Captain had simply raised an eyebrow but told Eddie to come by his office in about five minutes. That had been exactly four and a half minutes ago. And after freaking out for two of those minutes, Eddie had grabbed Buck. 

“No time like the present,” Eddie said with a sigh. Buck nodded. “We’re really doing this?”

“We’re really doing this.” Eddie nodded before knocking on Bobby’s office door. He heard a muffled ‘come in’ and he let out a long breath before walking in. Bobby was sitting at his desk. When he saw Buck with Eddie, he raised an eyebrow. 

“I thought you wanted to talk to me,” Bobby said, looking back and forth between Eddie and Buck. “I figured that meant privately.”

“Well, uh, this involves Buck,” Eddie said, shoving his hands into his pocket to avoid fidgeting. Bobby just nodded, but didn’t say anything. Eddie glanced at Buck, who was clearly waiting for him to speak. Eddie could feel his chest tightening. What if Bobby saw through them? What if he figured out what they were up to and called them out? Buck had said that Maddie didn’t believe him. If Bobby also didn’t buy it, then they were screwed. 

But as Bobby watched him and Buck stayed silent, Eddie knew there was only one way to find out. 

“Buck and I...we’re together.” Bobby’s eyebrows raised slightly. “We have been for a few months now.” Bobby just looked back and forth between the two. 

“We just wanted to keep it quiet at first,” Buck said, jumping in. “But then Eddie got hurt and his Abuela had to like bully the doctors to let me see him, so we figured it was time to be open, but also time for a change.”

“A change?”

“We’re, uh, filing for a domestic partnership.”

“That’s a big step,” Bobby said and Eddie nodded, glancing over at Buck. The taller male just shot him a smile. “Well, there’s some paperwork I’ll need you both to fill out so the department is aware of the change in your relationship status. Chief Alonzo might want to assess if you two can still work together, but since you’ve already been working together seamlessly with this change, I can vouch for you both.”

“Thanks Bobby,” Buck said and Bobby nodded. Bobby just looked back and forth between the two, as if waiting for something.

“Is there anything else?” Bobby asked.

“Well, I’m moving in with Eddie,” Buck said. 

“I’ll get you a change of address form as well,” Bobby said. “But if that’s it…”

“Uh yeah,” Eddie said, trying to not furrow his brow. “That’s it.”

“Alright, dismissed.” They both turned to go, Eddie still a little shocked. Once they exited Bobby’s office, Buck turned to Eddie. 

“So, that went well.” Eddie just nodded, still very confused. Bobby hadn’t said anything about the supposed change in their relationship. He had been completely professional, which wasn’t a surprise since he was their boss. But he also hadn’t seemed surprised. “You okay?”

“Just confused,” Eddie said. “Bobby took that really well.”

“And you didn’t think he would?” Eddie shrugged. “Would you have rather he questioned it like Maddie?”

“No, I think that would’ve been worse,” Eddie said, though he didn’t know if that was true. He had now witnessed two people being completely unfazed by this change. It was almost like they were expecting it. So, was Eddie missing something? Did he and Buck already act like a couple?

No, he and Buck were just friends. Buck was too important in both his and Christopher’s life for them to actually cross that line. Especially now, since Eddie kept saying they were doing this for Christopher.

Maybe if he kept repeating all of that, his stomach would stop feeling like he was on a roller coaster.

* * *

“Well hey boys!” Buck and Eddie were walking to their cars after their shift when Hen called out to them. As Eddie turned to face Hen, he saw a huge grin on her face. 

“So Chim told me something and I had to go to Bobby to confirm it,” Hen said, stopping in front of them. 

“And uh, what’s that?” Buck asked, glancing at Eddie. 

“That you two finally pulled your heads out of your asses and are together,” She said with a smirk. “I mean, I thought you two were just going to circle around this thing forever, but I guess I was wrong.” Eddie tried to keep his face neutral. Hen didn’t seem surprised either. In fact, it sounded like she had expected this. “I’m happy for both of you.”

“Thank Hen,” Buck said, a smile crossing his face. Eddie just nodded, not sure he could speak right now.

“You two have got to join Karen and I on a double date,” Hen said with a smile. “It’ll be fun.” She then checked her watch. “But I have class soon, so I have to go. Happy for you boys!” She then jogged off to her car. 

“So, that happened,” Buck said, once Hen was gone. “Is it just me or is everyone cool with this?”

“Weird huh?” Eddie asked, trying to ignore the weird feeling bubbling through him. Everyone was acting like they had expected this to happen, like they saw something between the two of them that wasn’t there. At least, that wasn’t there for both parties, since Eddie was sure Buck didn’t feel that way about him. Buck was just being a good friend. And Eddie just needed to not overthink all of this and focus on the point of what they were doing.

“Yeah,” Buck said, running his hand along the back of his neck. “So, uh, are you going to follow me or do you have to check on Chris first?”

“Sorry?” Eddie asked, still wrapped up in the confusion of what had just happened. 

“I have to grab the last of my stuff,” Buck said.

“Right,” Eddie said, shaking his head. “Let me just text Carla and see if she can stay with Chris for an extra hour and then I’ll follow you to your apartment.”

“Sounds good.” Buck got into his Jeep and Eddie went over to his truck. He quickly texted Carla before getting into the truck and turning it on. He couldn’t shake the weird feeling running through him. Everyone seemed to think this change in his and Buck’s relationship was normal. And it made him think that maybe something could happen between them. 

But then he remembered what they were doing and why they were doing it and he quickly shook that thought away. So, with a sigh, he started to drive, following after Buck’s Jeep.

* * *

Eddie sighed as he broke down another box and gently set it on the floor. Though Buck didn’t have a lot of large items, he did seem to have a bunch of stuff. Between his clothes, his specialty kitchen items that Eddie didn’t have, his workout equipment, and other random items, it seemed like Buck had a surprising amount of stuff.

Eddie still felt slightly off-kilter as he went through unpacking Buck’s things. Carla had given him a knowing look and simply patted his cheek when he got home. He assumed that Christopher had said something to her, since she had stood by Buck’s car and quietly spoken to him for a few minutes before giving him a hug. He was still massively confused how okay everyone was with all of this. Only Maddie had doubted that it wasn’t real and even she hadn’t put up much of a fight.

It made Eddie feel weird and confused and like the world was going to fall out from him at any moment. 

“Dad, look!” He was glad to be pulled out of his spiraling thoughts by Christopher’s voice. He glanced over at his son, who was sitting on the couch. He had wanted to help, so Eddie had given him a smaller box and told him to be careful. Buck was currently putting away his clothes (and if the fact that those clothes were going in the closet with Eddie’s clothes thrilled him in a weird way, then that was his business). 

“What’ve you got there, mijo?” Eddie asked, taking a seat next to his son. Christopher held out a framed photo to Eddie. It was a small white frame with an older looking picture framed inside. The picture had two kids, a girl with long brown hair and a boy with curly hair and blue eyes that Eddie would know anywhere.

“Is that Buck?” Christopher asked, pointing to the boy. 

“Yeah kid, I think it is.” Eddie couldn’t help but stare at the photo. Buck had a big grin on his face as he hugged Maddie. Buck didn’t talk a lot about his childhood or his parents, but when he did, he focused more on Maddie and how having her around made things easier. “You know, he doesn’t look much older than you.” Christopher giggled at that. Eddie found himself looking back at the picture, a smile crossing his face. 

“Alright, I’m all done.” He looked up as Buck entered the room. “Oh, what did you guys find?”

“A photo of you!” Christopher said excitedly. Buck tilted his head as he walked over to them. Eddie passed Buck the frame and Buck smiled once he saw the picture. “Is that Maddie with you?”

“Yeah,” Buck said. “This was from her high school graduation.”

“You both look really happy.” Buck nodded, glancing up from the photo. “You know, we can find a place in the house for you to put that up. Along with any other photos you have.” A sweet smile crossed Buck’s face and Eddie looked down, feeling a blush cross his cheeks. He pretended to check the time, but then his eyes widened seeing what time it actually was. 

“Kid, it’s way past your bedtime,” Eddie said, getting up. Christopher pouted as Eddie scooped him up. “We don’t even have time to read.”

“But dad,” Christopher said, a slight whine in his voice. “It’s Buck’s first night in the house. Doesn’t that mean we get to do something special?” Eddie glanced at Buck, who was watching the two of them with a smile. Eddie just smiled a little before looking back at his son.

“Alright,” Eddie said with a sigh. “One chapter.” Christopher smiled and Eddie huffed a little at how he was completely wrapped around his son’s finger.

“Can you both read to me?” Christopher asked, glancing at Buck. Buck just watched Eddie, waiting for his response. 

“Sounds good to me,” Eddie said and Buck just grinned. Eddie carried Christopher to his room, hearing the soft padding of Buck’s feet behind him. Eddie set Christopher down on the bed, the boy happily burrowing under the covers, as Eddie took a seat next to him. Buck pulled the chair from Christopher's desk over, so he was seated on Christopher’s side. Eddie nodded to the book on the nightstand and Buck picked it up. 

“You start Buck,” Christopher said, maneuvering his glasses over his head before setting them on the nightstand. Buck glanced at Eddie, who simply nodded. Buck smiled before starting to read.

Eddie had to admit that Buck had a calming voice when he read. It always surprised him, seeing or hearing this softer side of Buck. The blonde was always full of boundless energy and it showed in how he spoke, rambling about something he learned or excitedly raving about a good save at a call. But as Buck read, he was reminded of the calmer side of Buck. This was the side that could calm a panicked patient. This was the side that made Buck so good with kids, whether it be a kid on the call, Hen or Athena’s kids, or Christopher. It was a side he didn’t often see but really adored when he did. 

“Eds.” Eddie’s eyes blinked open, a small noise of discontentment rising out of him. He looked around, confused for a moment. He spotted Christopher, right next to him and fast asleep. He then looked up, seeing Buck. “You, uh, feel asleep.” Eddie nodded, rubbing his eyes. 

“Guess I was tired,” He said quietly. He slowly got up, making sure to not wake his son. He adjusted the covers and pressed a kiss to Christopher’s forehead. “Love you kid.” He then straightened up, seeing Buck watch him. He just nodded to the door, heading out of the room. He turned to face Buck just as he closed the door. He felt something in his heart jump a bit when he saw Buck leave the door open, just a crack, like he always did. 

“So, um, I guess I should grab some blankets and pillows for the couch.” Eddie tilted his head. “Your guest room doesn’t have a bed.”

“Right.” Eddie had forgotten about that. There had been a bed in the guest room. But then he and Christopher had been working on a science project in the guest room (a volcano) and it exploded everywhere. By the time Eddie had cleaned everything up, the mattress had been ruined. So, he had gotten rid of it, knowing that he’d get another one. But mattresses weren’t cheap and that had been months ago. “You don’t fit on the couch.”

“It’s fine,” Buck said. “I’ve slept on worse things.” 

“Buck, you’re already doing so much for me with all of this,” Eddie said. “I am not making you sleep on my couch.” Buck just shrugged again. There was only one option left, and it tumbled out before Eddie could stop himself. “We can just share.”

“Share what?” Buck asked, a redness creeping up his neck. 

“My, uh, my bed.” The redness had crept up to Buck’s cheeks now and Eddie felt like he was crossing a line. But he had said it, so he had to plow on. “I mean, you basically gave up your apartment for this whole thing. The least I could do is make sure you have a comfy place to sleep.”

“If...if you’re sure,” Buck said and Eddie simply nodded. “Uh, yeah okay.” They quietly made their way down the hallway, Eddie trying to calm the loud thumping of his heart. It was just a bed. He could sleep in a bed next to his best friend that he totally wasn’t falling for and it would be totally fine. 

Yeah, he could do that.

“I sleep on the left side,” Eddie said, after minutes of silence of the two just getting ready for bed. “It’s closer to the door, in case Chris needs me.”

“Okay,” Buck said with a nod. Eddie just nodded, swallowing a little as he got into bed. Buck got in on the other side. Eddie busied himself with setting his alarm and plugging his phone in, ignoring the feeling crawling up him over the fact that Buck was in his bed. He heard a rustling and glanced over at Buck. The taller male was gently adjusting the pillows before settling down, so his back was facing Eddie. Eddie subtly let out a breath. It was a wall, a reminder that this was all still platonic between the two of them. 

He needed to remember that.

He reached over and turned the lamp off before lying down. He stared at the ceiling, still a little too jittery to fall asleep. 

“Hey Eddie?” He glanced over at Buck, whose back was still to him. “Thank you.”

“I think I’m the one who should be thanking you.” He heard Buck chuckle and Eddie could just imagine that perfect smile of his crossing his face. “Night Buck.”

“Night Eds.” Eddie smiled a little too himself before turning his gaze back to the ceiling. Maybe he could handle this. Maybe he could be in a domestic partnership with Buck without the romantic elements. Maybe he could just focus on making sure Christopher always had someone to look out for him and care for him.

Eddie heard a small noise and glanced at Buck. Even though he was turned away, the room was so quiet that he could hear the sound of light breathing coming from Buck. It was an oddly soothing sound and it was comforting to know that Buck wasn’t weirded out and able to fall asleep. He found himself starting to be lulled towards sleep, listening to the gentle sounds of Buck breathing. 

His eyes started to drift shut until he finally nodded off.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> But he had clearly turned over in his sleep because he was now facing towards Eddie, his arm thrown over the brunette. He had moved so much closer to Eddie while he was sleeping that the brunette was now using his other arm as a pillow.
> 
> Buck felt like a total creep. Eddie had not let him sleep in his own bed, just so Buck could take advantage of that and cuddle him without his consent. It made him feel awful, that he could possibly take advantage of his friend like that.

Buck’s eyes slowly opened, a sigh escaping his lips. He glanced towards the one window in Eddie’s room. It let in a little sunlight, but not as much as his old place, which let sunlight crash in through the windows like it was its job. He sighed a little, letting his head fall against the pillow. As he did, he felt something shift on his arm. 

His eyes went a little wide as he glanced down. 

When he had gone to sleep the night before, he had purposefully turned his back towards Eddie. It was necessary. He was absolutely a cuddler when he slept and if this was anyone else, then that would be fine. But this was Eddie; Eddie who was his best friend. Eddie who had asked him to do this because he needed help, not because there was anything romantic between them. But he had clearly turned over in his sleep because he was now facing towards Eddie, his arm thrown over the brunette. He had moved so much closer to Eddie while he was sleeping that the brunette was now using his other arm as a pillow.

Buck felt like a total creep. Eddie had not let him sleep in his own bed, just so Buck could take advantage of that and cuddle him without his consent. It made him feel awful, that he could possibly take advantage of his friend like that.

He gently shifted away, trying not to wake Eddie. Of course, that didn’t work and the brunette started to stir. Buck quickly stood up, pretending like he was stretching. 

“What time is it?” Eddie asked sleepily, slowly sitting up. Buck stared for a moment. Barely awake Eddie with his fluffy hair was adorable. Eddie rubbed his eye and glanced around for Buck. 

“Barely eight,” Buck said. “I guess my internal clock still wants to wake me up early, even without all the natural light.” Eddie just nodded as he slowly got out of the bed. “I can uh start on coffee and breakfast.”

“Chris will be up soon,” Eddie said. Buck just nodded. “Don’t let him con you into pancakes all the time. Because I know he’ll try.”

“Pancakes can be like a weekend thing,” Buck offered. “I was just thinking of making some eggs and fruits.”

“Better than the cereal we normally have,” Eddie said. “Guess it’s a good thing you live here now.” Buck felt his stomach do a little flip at that. He was about to say something in response, when Eddie’s alarm went off. Eddie reached over and turned it off before standing up. “Time to get Chris up. He does stretches in the living room and I usually keep him company.” Buck just nodded. “You can, uh, you can join us if you want.”

“Um yeah sure.” Eddie nodded and then headed out of the room. Buck took a long breath, needing a moment to compose himself. He needed to put his feelings aside and focus on what was important; helping Eddie and Christopher. So, after another sigh, Buck headed out of the room, focusing on that fact.

* * *

“Mr. Buckley? Mr. Diaz?” Eddie looked up from his phone as a short woman with blonde hair called for him and Buck. He raised his hand and she smiled. “Why don’t you two follow me?” Eddie glanced at Buck, before getting up and following her. 

They were at City Hall, filing for their domestic partnership. They had figured that day was the best bet because it was their day off. Also, based on Eddie and Buck’s research (mostly Buck’s since he was the research fiend), it took some time for all the paperwork to go through, making their partnership official. But at least today, they could submit the initial paperwork and pretty much be on their way to a domestic partnership. 

“Hey.” Buck stopped him, just before they went into the office. “We're doing this.” Eddie breathed out a little breath, not realizing he had needed the reassurance. When Buck sent him a smile, Eddie nodded. 

“Yeah. Yeah we are.” Then they went into the room. 

“Have a seat,” The woman said. The nameplate on her desk said Donna and she had a kind smile on her face. “So, you two want to start the paperwork for a domestic partnership?”

“Yes,” Eddie said as he sat down. “My…” He glanced at Buck, who just smiled at him, earning a blush from Eddie. “My partner and I would like to make it official.”

“How sweet,” Donna said, her voice perky and bright. “Well, I do have to ask a few questions, assessing the validity of the whole thing.” Eddie nodded, trying not to tense up. “I saw on your initial form that you both are firefighters with the LAFD.”

“We are,” Buck said, an ease about him that calmed Eddie down. “It’s how we met. Took us a little time to get here but when you work in high pressure situations, it can bring you closer together.”

“I assume you asked him out then,” Donna said with a smile. “You seem like the outgoing one.” Buck chuckled at that. “Alright, now for the forms, we need a valid reason for you filing. I mean, same-sex marriage is legal now but some people do prefer a domestic partnership.”

“Eddie got hurt a few weeks back,” Buck said, straightening up a little. “Three-alarm fire at an apartment building and he took a really bad fall when the floor caved in.” Eddie winced, trying not to remember it. He saw Buck reach out, his hand on his arm to ground him in the moment. “And once he was in the hospital, I couldn’t see him because I wasn’t family. At least not in the official sense.”

“I see,” Donna said, jotting some notes down. 

“And I have a son,” Eddie said, jumping in. “He’s nine and…” He cleared his throat, remembering why they were going through all of this. “He already lost his mother a year and a half ago. When I got hurt...I never want my son to feel like he’s alone, like he doesn’t have someone there for him no matter what. And I know that, even if I’m not around, Buck will care for him and love him and make sure he’s okay.” 

Eddie glanced at Buck. He was a little startled by the expression on Buck’s face. It was a soft almost gazing look that nearly took Eddie’s breath away. It made him want to make this real, to make what they were doing real. But, he realized Buck was probably putting on a show for Donna, who was basically deciding if they could finish filing for a domestic partnership. But still, it made Eddie wish it was real, that Buck looking at him like that wasn’t for show. 

“Oh my.” Eddie glanced at Donna, expecting the jig to be up, for her to deny them the domestic partnership. But instead, she was smiling. “You boys have something special, don’t you?”

“Yeah we do,” Buck said softly. Eddie tilted his head down, trying to ignore the butterflies reenacting the running of the bulls in his stomach. 

“I just love love,” Donna said as she wrote something down. “Anyways, you boys are all set.” Eddie’s head shot up. “Like I said, you boys have something special.” 

“Thank you,” Eddie said, trying to contain his excitement. It had worked, they had really done it. He glanced at Buck, who was beaming. 

“Now, the paperwork will take about a week or so,” Donna explained, the perky smile still there. “You boys know with the LAFD how long bureaucratic things can take.” Buck and Eddie just nodded. “But as far as I’m concerned, you two are basically in a domestic partnership in the state of California. Congratulations! And you know, it isn’t a wedding, but I always tell folks if they wanna seal the deal with a kiss, then be my guest. Did I mention that I love love?” 

Eddie felt his throat go dry. He kept forgetting that they were essentially telling the world that they were a couple, even though they weren’t. They were doing this for Christopher. This wasn’t supposed to be romantic. There wasn’t supposed to be a kiss. But then again, everyone had no problem seeing them as a couple. Everyone just believed that they were suddenly together and in love.

Eddie knew it could have been as simple as just telling the very nice woman behind the desk that they weren’t into PDA, but something about that felt wrong. He glanced at Buck, who was watching him, as if he was waiting for Eddie to decide what to do. He glanced back at Donna, who was just smiling. Eddie sighed internally. He didn’t have to do this, but something told him he needed to. 

So, without a second though, he closed the distance between him and Buck and pressed a tender kiss to Buck’s lips.

He felt Buck tense up for a moment, almost like he was surprised by Eddie’s actions. Then his hand wrapped around Eddie’s bicep, pulling him closer. Eddie found himself falling deeper into the kiss, thoughts of why they were doing this and fears of ruining everything disappearing. Kissing Buck just felt right, like this was who he was meant to kiss for the rest of his life. 

But then he remembered where they were and why they were going through all of this. He tentatively pulled away as Buck’s hand released his arm, trying to not seem like he was freaking out over what had just happened. Eddie tried not to shiver at the intense look on Buck’s face. After all, that wasn’t why they had done this. 

A sniff had him looking back over at the desk where Donna was sitting.

“Gets me everytime,” She said, wiping at her eyes. “You two are just absolutely adorable.” She held out the papers, copies of what she was submitting, and Eddie took them from her. “Go be happy, you crazy kids.”

“T-thank you,” Eddie managed to get out. She smiled and then he headed out of the room, Buck a step behind him. Neither of them said a word as they exited the building and walked to Eddie’s car. The silence continued as they both got into the car, Eddie turning the car on before glancing at Buck. 

“So, uh…” Eddie could see a hint of pink in Buck’s cheeks, like he was embarrassed about what had just happened. “We’re officially in a domestic partnership. Well, almost at least.”

“So we are,” Eddie said with a nod, trying to forget the feeling of Buck’s lips against his. “I can, uh, call my lawyer tomorrow and get all the paperwork set up regarding you being Christopher’s guardian.”

“Sounds good.” The car fell silent again. Eddie saw that Buck was fidgeting with his hands, which by now he knew was a tell that the blonde was nervous. “So, um...about that kiss?”

“Just making it believable right?” Eddie said, even though his heart was hammering against his chest. He didn’t want it to be a show. He wanted it to be real. But Buck had already agreed to so much. If Eddie pushed that line now, then it would seem like he was taking advantage of the blonde. And he would never do that.

“Right,” Buck said, though Eddie thought he saw a flash of disappointment. “We should probably get going. We told Athena and Bobby that it would only take an hour or so.” Christopher was having a playdate with Harry and Denny while they had done this. Because Christopher was who they were doing this for and not Eddie’s misguided belief that they could actually be in a relationship.

“Yeah,” Eddie said, gripping the steering and trying to find a semblance of normal. “Let’s go grab Chris.” Buck nodded and Eddie started driving. “Hey uh, what was that article you were reading earlier?”

“About sharks?” Buck asked. Eddie nodded. Buck glanced over at him and there was a moment of hesitation, like he didn’t trust what was happening. But then a small smile crossed his face. “It was actually pretty interesting.”

“Yeah?” Eddie asked. “Tell me about it.” And as Buck dove into explaining the article he had been reading, Eddie tried to grab onto this semblance of normalcy and not this terrible off-kilter feeling that was building up inside of him.

* * *

“Why do I feel like something’s up?” Buck and Eddie approached the door to Athena and Bobby’s house. They had needed to park on the street since the driveway was full, along with the closer spots on the street to the house. 

“It does seem fishy,” Eddie said with a shrug. “But maybe Hen and Karen decided to hang out with Athena? And maybe Michael’s here too?” Buck sighed and shrugged before ringing the doorbell. He was sure he heard voices and glanced at Eddie, who looked just as confused as him. 

“Well there you two are,” Athena said when she opened the door. “We’ve been waiting for you.”

“We?” Buck asked as he walked inside. Athena nodded as she led them down the stairs and into the living room. His eyebrows kissed his hairline when he saw everyone. Karen was holding Nia, who was giggling at something May was saying. Hen was chatting with Michael, who also seemed to be checking if Bobby needed any help at the grill. Chimney and Maddie were talking quietly, Chimney (as always) looking at his sister like she had hung the moon. Denny and Harry were playing video games, Christopher giggling at their antics. 

“The guests of honor are here!” Athena called out to everyone.

“Dad! Buck!” Christopher came over, attaching himself to Buck’s leg as soon as he was close enough. Buck just smiled, ruffling the boy’s hair. “Look! It’s a surprise party for you guys.”

“I can see that mijo,” Eddie said, scooping Christopher up and kissing the side of his head.

“When you told Bobby and I what you two were up to today,” Athena started with a sly smile. “We figured we should surprise you both with a little get together.”

“You guys didn’t have to do that,” Buck said, attempting a smile. Athena waved her hand. 

“You know Bobby will come up with any excuse to make a big meal,” She said, glancing over to her husband. Bobby just gave them both a nod before going back to his cooking.

“Besides,” Hen said, coming over to the two of them. “It’s not every day we get to celebrate a domestic partnership! Especially between you two.” Buck flushed a little at that and Hen chuckled. 

“So, enjoy yourself,” Athena said with a smile. “You two deserve this after all.” Everyone then went back to milling around, leaving Buck and Eddie standing there. 

“Dad,” Christopher said, poking Eddie’s arm. “Can I go back to playing with Denny and Harry?”

“Sure kid,” Eddie said, setting his son down. Christopher hugged both of their legs, earning a soft smile from Buck before heading back to where Denny and Harry were. Buck just looked around the room. Their friends and family were all there celebrating them. But they were celebrating a lie; a well-fabricated lie that most of them had no problem believing, but a lie nonetheless. 

“You okay?” Eddie had stepped closer, to whisper the statement to him. Buck could feel Maddie watching him, her eyes scrutinizing every move he made. He turned his head towards Eddie. 

“Just a little shocked by all of this,” Buck said, swallowing a little. “Also, I don’t have the best of luck with surprise parties here.” Eddie snorted at that and Buck smiled a little.

“It is kind of nice,” Eddie pointed out, glancing around the room. “Seeing that they all care, that they want to do this for us on our off day, even though Chim likes to point out we spend so much time together at work.” Buck nodded.

“I guess we’re pretty lucky,” Buck said, his grin growing. Eddie just smiled at him and Buck felt himself get lost in it for a minute. He thought about the kiss earlier, about how soft Eddie’s lips had felt and how he wanted to kiss him forever. But Eddie had said it had just been for a show. He clearly didn’t feel the way Buck felt. 

“Boys!” They both looked away, Buck feeling his cheeks heat up, as Hen got their attention. “Stop mooning over each other and come join us!” Eddie laughed a little before squeezing Buck’s arm. Then he headed over to where Hen was. Buck stayed where he was for a moment. Maybe Eddie didn’t feel the same way he did, but he could pretend for a few moments. 

He could pretend it was all real before dragging himself back to the reminder of what they were doing. Which was what he did as he joined the group, forcing a smile on his face.

* * *

“Dad, Buck, you have to try the cupcakes I helped make!” Christopher was tugging Buck over to the table where the desserts had been set up.

“You baked for us mijo?” Eddie asked, walking in step with them, a fond smile on his face. 

“I did the mixing!” Christopher said excitedly. “And Cap showed me how to pipe the frosting.”

“And he was a natural,” Bobby said with a smile, appearing on the other side of the table. “I’ve got a couple extra piping bags lying around if you ever want to borrow them for more practice at home.”

“Can we?” Christopher asked. It wasn’t lost on Buck that he looked at both of them when he asked. It startled Buck for a moment before he remembered that was the whole point; Eddie was doing this so Christopher had someone else, someone who could look after him. But still, the thought of this sudden parenthood, it shocked Buck a little. 

“Well you know I’m not the baker,” Eddie said, glancing at Buck. “Or the chef in the house.” Christopher looked at Buck expectantly and Buck just smiled. 

“Well I did hear that your school has a bake sale coming up soon,” Christopher grinned before taking a cupcake and heading over to where Denny was. “Hey Cap. Thanks again for this. It was really nice of you guys to do.”

“Well special occasions deserve to be celebrated,” Bobby said. “And just so you know, the department knows about your change of relationship and as of now, they don’t see you working together as a conflict.” Buck was about to say something when Christopher’s voice from across the room stopped him. 

“Oh man.” 

“Seems like Christopher dropped his cupcake,” Eddie said with a fond shake of his head. He grabbed another cupcake. “I can clean that up Bobby.”

“I’ve got it,” Bobby said. The two headed over to Christopher. As Bobby cleaned up the small mess, Buck watched Eddie and Christopher. Clearly the boy wasn’t too upset or embarrassed, since he was more focused on the cupcake Eddie had brought over. 

He felt a pang in his heart watching them. He adored them both and wanted this to all be real. He wanted this celebration to be real, to be able to actually be as excited as everyone in the room. But it wasn’t real. Eddie and Christopher weren’t his, even though he wanted them to be, 

“Hey.” Maddie was by his side, her head tilted as she stared at him. “Doing okay?”

“Just overwhelmed, I guess,” Buck said with a shrug. “I mean, everyone doing this was nice, but they didn’t have to.”

“Everyone in this room loves you and Eddie,” Maddie pointed out. “And they want to celebrate that you’re happy. We want to celebrate that you’re happy.” Buck glanced over at his sister. It wasn’t too long ago when Maddie had doubted his story, when she had called his bluff (there was a reason, after all, why his sister was so good at poker).

“We?” Buck asked and Maddie nodded. 

“I know I thought something else was going on,” Maddie started. “But today I really got to see it all with my own two eyes. And seeing you, with Eddie and Christopher showed me how truly happy you are. And I’m happy for you Evan.” She gently patted his arm and smiled. “It’s a good look on you, this happiness.” Buck just nodded and then she walked away. 

Buck let out a sigh as soon as she was gone. He wanted the happiness to be real. But it wasn’t, at least not in the way everyone thought. And it was getting harder for Buck to separate the real from the story. It was harder for Buck to pretend like he wasn’t completely gone on Eddie.

“Buck!” Christopher called. Eddie looked over at Buck, his smile going straight to Buck’s heart. And Buck just straightened up, pushing that feeling down and focusing on what was important. He made his way over to them, pasting a smile on. He could compartmentalize those feelings. After all, he had been doing that for awhile now. 

He could pretend like he wasn’t in love with Eddie. He could convince his head of that even when his heart was screaming the opposite.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “But dad.”
> 
> “Chris, he’s sleeping.” Buck rolled over, his eyes opening as he did. His vision was hazy for a moment, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. What he saw, as he did, was Christopher staring at him, his head tilted slightly. Eddie was behind him, an apologetic look on his face. 
> 
> “Sorry,” Eddie said, trying to shepherd Christopher out of the room. “I told him to let you sleep because I know you were tired after our shift.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait. I had all the prompts of Eddie Diaz Week to post. Anyways, enjoy a new chapter!

“But dad.”

“Chris, he’s sleeping.” Buck rolled over, his eyes opening as he did. His vision was hazy for a moment, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. What he saw, as he did, was Christopher staring at him, his head tilted slightly. Eddie was behind him, an apologetic look on his face. 

“Sorry,” Eddie said, trying to shepherd Christopher out of the room. “I told him to let you sleep because I know you were tired after our shift.”

“But dad,” Christopher whined. “Buck promised we could have waffles for breakfast.” He pouted a little and Buck smiled, pulling himself out of the bed. He still couldn’t call Eddie’s bed their bed, since doing that would complicate his already extremely complicated feelings towards Eddie.

“A promise is a promise,” Buck said. A smile crossed his face when Christopher cheered before leaving the room. Buck sighed and stood up. 

“You don’t have to,” Eddie pointed out. “Those waffles can wait until tomorrow when you haven’t gotten less than six hours of sleep after a twenty four hour shift.”

“Just fuel me up with some coffee and I can do it,” Buck said. “Besides, I brought my waffle maker here for a reason. Might as well use it.” Eddie shrugged, but Buck saw a ghost of a smirk. Eddie headed out of the room and Buck followed. Christopher was already in the kitchen, waiting by the counter. 

“Buck, can I help you?” Buck glanced at Eddie who had a grin on his face. 

“Well, I could always use a sous-chef,” Buck said before leaning closer to Christopher. “And your dad is pretty useless in the kitchen.” Christopher giggled at that and Buck didn’t have to look at Eddie to know he was rolling his eyes. Buck went over to the fridge and the cabinet, grabbing what he needed. Once he had put the items he grabbed down on the counter, Eddie handed him a mug. 

“Coffee with a dash of milk and three sugars,” Eddie said. Buck took a sip, trying to hide the surprise on his face. Eddie knew how he took his coffee? Why did that make his heart beat a little faster? 

Once he had had enough coffee to feel like a person, he got to work. He shot Christopher a smile, as he explained what went into the waffle batter. He could feel an extra pair of eyes on him as he worked. He tried not to blush knowing Eddie was watching him. He sighed to himself, trying to keep it together. He did not need to be falling all over himself over Eddie. He could control himself and act normally. 

“Hey mijo.” Christopher was now sitting at the table while the batter was in the waffle maker. Buck looked up from the fruit he was cutting for a moment. “Do you know where Carla put the mail?”

“I saw her put in on the dining room table,” Christopher said. Buck went back to cutting fruit as Eddie disappeared into the dining room. Buck did his best to focus on cutting the fruit and not his very annoying feelings. He could keep this all up and keep his feelings out of this, right?

“Hey Buck.” He had just finished slicing the fruit when Eddie walked back into the kitchen. “Something came in the mail for both of us.”

“Oh?” Buck asked, wiping his hands on a towel before going to check on the waffles. 

“Mind if I open it?” Eddie asked and Buck nodded. “Oh.”

“What is it dad?” Christopher asked as Buck moved the waffles to a stack on a plate. He glanced at Eddie who had a slightly surprised look on his face. 

“It’s about the domestic partnership.” He looked at Buck, who just watched him, trying to ignore that constant thumping his heart that seemed inevitable these days when Eddie looked at him. “It’s uh...we’re all set.”

“We are?” Eddie nodded. “Wow.” They both were silent, simply staring at each other. They were officially in a domestic partnership, which meant Eddie could officially make Buck a guardian for Christopher. But it also made Buck wonder; when all of that was taken care of, when Buck was officially Christopher’s guardian, then what? There was no way this was a forever kind of thing. After all, they weren’t really together and they never would be because Buck was sure Eddie didn’t feel that way about him. How could he? Buck was a total mess when it came to relationships. And even if Eddie did feel something more than friendship for him, Buck didn’t want to ruin their friendship.

So what was going to happen once they reached the goal of all of this?

“We should celebrate!” Christopher said, as Buck and Eddie grabbed what they needed for breakfast. Christopher followed after them. 

“Waffles aren’t enough of a celebration?” Eddie asked, giving his son a slight look. Christopher shook his head as he took a seat at the table. 

“The whole day has to be a celebration,” Christopher pointed out. “We start with waffles and then do something fun. Like going to the zoo!” Buck smiled a little as he sat down at the table. He glanced at Eddie who was just smiling at his son. 

“Well I suppose we should celebrate,” Eddie said, taking the other seat at the table. “What do you think, Buck? Think we should celebrate by going to the zoo?” Buck glanced back and forth between Eddie and Christopher. The father and son were wearing matching grins and Buck felt his heart lurch. He didn’t want this to be temporary. He wanted these mornings, those smiles, all of this, to be forever. 

But it wasn’t. So he had to hold on for as long as he could. 

“The zoo sounds great,” Buck said, smiling. If this wasn’t going to last forever, then he was going to try and enjoy the ride for as long as he could.

* * *

“And then did you see how the lion roared!” Buck just chuckled as Christopher eagerly talked about what they had seen so far. They were taking a quick break, since Eddie had whispered to Buck that Christopher was starting to lag a little. Christopher, of course, would never say that he needed a break because the boy, like his dad, was persistent and never quit (which Buck adored about both of them). But he seemed more than happy to take a break, especially when Buck came back with ice cream for all three of them. 

“Yeah it was great kiddo,” Buck said with a smile. Christopher looked up from his ice cream, ready to say something, when he giggled instead. 

“You have ice cream on your face, Buck,” Christopher said through his giggles. Buck chuckled before looking around for napkins. When he saw the napkin holder was by Eddie, he was ready to ask for a napkin. 

But then Eddie pulled out a napkin, reaching for Buck’s cheek.

“Let me,” Eddie said. Buck swallowed a little, trying to steady his rapidly beating heart. Eddie was just wiping the ice cream away from his face like he would to Christopher. It was totally platonic. 

Until Eddie’s thumb lingered a little longer on Buck’s cheek. 

Buck looked up at Eddie, feeling those deep, brown eyes watching him. If this were anyone else, Buck would close the space between them and kiss them. And Buck so wanted to kiss Eddie, especially remembering how soft Eddie’s lips had felt against his. He wanted that intoxicating feeling back. 

But he couldn’t do that. So he gently leaned back, so Eddie’s thumb had no choice but to fall away.

“Can we go look at the tigers now?” Christopher asked, totally unaware of what had just occurred. 

“Sure kid,” Eddie said softly. Buck avoided his gaze as he got up, throwing away what remained from their snack. Then, the three started walking to the tiger enclosure. Christopher was talking very excitedly about seeing the tigers, not noticing the awkward tension between the two of them. 

Buck felt confused. He couldn’t gauge what Eddie was feeling about all of this. At some moments, it felt like Eddie was just focused on the original point of all of this. Buck knew this was all for Christopher and Christopher was always Eddie’s main focus. But sometimes, it felt like maybe Eddie felt something more for Buck, like maybe they could make this work. 

But that was crazy. There was no way Eddie felt like that. 

“Dad, Buck, look!” Buck shook those thoughts away as they reached the tiger enclosure. Christopher was pointing at something, a happy grin on his face. 

“Pretty cool, huh?” Buck said, trying to keep his cool and ignore those horrible complicated feelings bubbling through him. “You know some adult tigers can weigh up to 660 pounds.” 

“But look at those tigers,” Christopher insisted. Buck followed where he was pointing. There were two tigers, one lying down and the other pacing back and forth behind it. Just as Buck was about to ramble off another fact about tigers, a cub came running up, pouncing on the tiger that was lying down. “They look like a little family.”

“Yeah they do.” Buck glanced at Eddie, who had a small smile on his face. Buck gulped, trying to not stare too long, since he knew he could stare at Eddie forever.

“Like us!” Buck tore his eyes away from Eddie, staring back at the three tigers. They certainly did look like a family, the little cub bouncing between the two adult tigers. And Buck wished that could be them, he wished they could be a family forever. He glanced back at Eddie, who turned to glance down at Christopher, who was watching the tigers with a smile. 

“Can we take a picture?” Christopher asked. “Because this is the best day and I want to remember it forever.” 

“Sounds like a great idea, mijo,” Eddie said before scooping Christopher up. He looked at Buck and smiled a little. “Mind taking it? You’ve got longer arms.”

“Uh yeah, sure,” Buck said, trying to not be a stuttering mess every time Eddie looked at him. He took his phone out of his pocket. Eddie moved closer to him until he was pressed against Buck’s side. Christopher was in the middle, which was somewhat of a saving grace. Buck subtly took a breath before smiling. And it wasn’t a fake smile. Even with his confused feelings, Buck was happy. He was always happy when he was around Eddie and Christopher. It was why he wanted it to be forever, why he never wanted this to end. 

As Buck put his phone away, Christopher tightened his arms around Eddie, signaling that he didn’t want to be put down. 

“I think it’s time to head home for the day,” Eddie said, before pressing a kiss to the top of his son’s head. He nodded to Buck, who took Christopher’s crutches, so they weren’t knocking against Eddie as they walked. Then, they started towards the exit.

“This was a great day,” Christopher said contentedly, resting his head on his dad’s shoulder.

“Yeah kid, it was,” Eddie said, glancing between Christopher and Buck. And even as Buck smiled, he knew he needed to talk to Eddie. He knew he needed to at least figure out how long he could hold onto this happy feeling, how long this was going to last.

He needed to at least know that, before he fell even further than he already had.

* * *

“Hey Eddie?” Eddie looked towards Buck as he closed the refrigerator door. They had just finished dinner, having take-out since they had had a full day at the zoo and because Christopher insisted on their favorite pizza place, to continue their day of celebrating. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” Eddie said, leaning back against the counter. 

“Now that the domestic partnership is finalized,” Buck started and Eddie noticed he was fidgeting with his hands. Eddie had started noticing that Buck fidgeted when he was nervous and for some reason Eddie found that very endearing. “I was just wondering, what the plan was here?”

“What do you mean?” Eddie asked.

“We’ve sort of made a big commitment here,” Buck said. “And I know that…'' He paused and glanced towards the living room, which was empty since Christopher had gone to his room to read. “I know we did this for Chris. But once you can officially make me his guardian, then what?”

“Oh, um, right.” Eddie swallowed. He hadn’t considered what came next. And he wasn’t sure he wanted to. Because that could go either two ways. 

The first option was this: after Buck became a guardian of Christopher, things went back to as they had been before. Eddie and Buck would just go back to being friends and co-workers, with the added knowledge that if anything happened to Eddie, then Buck would take care of Christopher. They’d still have their movie and video game nights, but Buck would probably move out. Things would be normal.

The second option was this: Things stayed as they were, with all three of them living together and keeping up this guise that they were actually in a relationship. They’d have all this time together, days and nights. And maybe, things would change. Maybe feelings would emerge. Maybe they’d actually be a couple. 

Maybe they’d fall in love. 

That last thought shocked Eddie. He knew his feelings towards Buck had been changing a lot lately. But love? That couldn’t happen. Eddie was an absolute nightmare in a relationship. If he and Buck went down that route, Eddie would probably chase Buck away the same way he had to Shannon.

So, he couldn’t be in love with Buck. But god, he wished he were a braver man.

Eddie realized Buck was watching him, waiting for a response. But Eddie didn’t have a response. Neither options were good enough. And he didn’t have a reason why, other than fear. But Eddie had to say something. He had to answer Buck’s question. 

But then the doorbell rang. 

“I…”

“You should get that,” Buck said, his shoulders slumping slightly. “I’m going to go check on Christopher.” Buck quickly exited the kitchen and Eddie sighed. He wished he was a braver man. He wished he could be honest with his feelings and not hide behind his mistakes from the past. 

But, he wasn’t. So, with another sigh, Eddie headed towards the front door. He was confused who would even be ringing the doorbell at nine at night, especially since the person who usually randomly showed up at his door now lived there. 

“Maybe it’s a delivery,” Eddie mumbled to himself as he reached the door. But as he opened the door, his eyes widened in surprise.”

“Mom? Dad?” His parents stared at him from the other side of the door, polite smiles on their face. And as Eddie stood there, dumbfounded that they were there, he realized they knew nothing about Buck or the domestic partnership.

Which meant one thing; he was totally screwed.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You got hurt at work,” Helena said, as if it was the most obvious reason in the world. “You got hurt and were in the hospital. We wanted to make sure you and Christopher were okay.”
> 
> “Mom, that was weeks ago,” Eddie said. “And you could have called.”
> 
> “Well you barely answer our calls as it is.”

“Edmundo, are you going to let us in?” Eddie was still in shock when his father spoke. He nodded and stepped aside, letting them walk in. 

“What, uh...what are you guys doing here?” Eddie asked, closing the door.

“You got hurt at work,” Helena said, as if it was the most obvious reason in the world. “You got hurt and were in the hospital. We wanted to make sure you and Christopher were okay.”

“Mom, that was weeks ago,” Eddie said. “And you could have called.”

“Well you barely answer our calls as it is,” Ramon said, giving Eddie a pointed look.

“And we both know that you’re always overworking yourself,” Helena said. “We just wanted to make sure that everything was okay here.” Eddie frowned at that. His mother was skirting around saying it, but he knew what she meant. The possibility of him working extra hours, in his parents mind, meant he was probably neglecting his son. Of course, Eddie knew that was far from the truth. But he also knew he’d never convince his parents of that. They were still trying to get Eddie to move back to Texas, even though he kept saying he was happy in Los Angeles and that it was his and Christopher’s home now. 

He was about to tell them all of that, when he heard footsteps approaching. He swallowed, suddenly remembering that Buck was there, that Buck lived there. 

“Eddie, who’s at the…” Buck’s voice trailed off as he saw Eddie’s parents standing there. “Oh.”

“Grandma? Abuelo?” Christopher had wandered in with Buck and had a confused look on his face.

“There’s our beautiful grandson,” Helena said with a smile. Christopher glanced at Eddie before walking over to them, smiling a little as Helena and Ramon hugged him, but still clearly confused. He moved over to Eddie, who gently placed a hand on his son’s shoulder. 

“I see you already have a guest here,” Ramon said, scrutinizing Buck. Eddie frowned, especially when he saw Buck start to fidget with his hands.

“Buck’s not a guest,” Christopher said. His parents both looked confused and Eddie opened his mouth to say something, but Christopher kept talking. “He lives here!” Helena’s eyebrows raised as Ramon frowned.

“Seems rather odd to have your co-worker move in with you,” Ramon said, looking back and forth between Eddie and Buck. Now, Eddie was used to his dad’s scrutiny. And while he hated it, he hardly let it show, at least on his face or in his body language. But Buck wasn’t used to it and it upset Eddie to see the growing slump in Buck’s shoulders as his father scrutinized Buck. Eddie wanted to tell his parents to stop, to not give Buck a hard time, but he didn’t want to do it in front of Christopher.

“Mijo, I think it’s time you get ready for bed,” Eddie said. Christopher looked up at his dad and must’ve noticed something about the look on his face, because the boy simply nodded and headed towards his room. 

“I can help him,” Helena said, starting to follow him. 

“Mom,” Eddie said, not wanting his mother to step on Christopher’s independence or coddle him. But he didn’t have to stop her, because something on the coffee table caught her eye. Instead of following Christopher, she picked up the item. 

“What is this?” She asked, holding the papers up. Eddie swallowed, glancing at Buck, who’s eyes had grown wider on his face. They both knew what it was, but they certainly didn’t want to explain it to Eddie’s parents. Certainly not like this.

Helena looked back at the paper, reading it more thoroughly. As her eyebrows raised in shock, Ramon walked over to her. Eddie glanced at Buck again, knowing they were on a collision course with the truth. 

“You got married?” Ramon asked, his voice raising slightly. 

“It’s a domestic partnership,” Eddie responded, looking at his parents. His mother looked shocked and a little disappointed. But his father, well, Ramon looked downright pissed. 

“Which is just some new-fangled phrase for marriage,” Ramon said. “You’re in a relationship? With this man?” He sent an angry look Buck’s way and Eddie wanted to jump in and defend Buck, but Ramon kept speaking. “You brought some stranger into this house and are allowing him to be around your son all the time? What kind of example are you setting for Christopher, Edmundo?”

“Dad,” Eddie started to say, knowing that Buck wasn’t a stranger, that even without the domestic partnership Buck was meant to be there with them, that he was the best person Eddie could have around his son. 

“I should go,” Buck said, moving towards the door. 

“Buck.”

“No, he should go,” Ramon said. “This is a family matter.” Eddie wanted to argue that Buck was a member of his family. But Buck was already out the door without another word. Eddie stared after him, wanting to run after him and stop him. Buck didn’t need to leave. In fact, Eddie didn’t want him to leave.

But before he could chase after Buck, his father spoke up. 

“Now Edmundo,” Ramon said, frowning heavily at his son. “I think you should explain what the hell is going on.”

* * *

“Buck, what are you doing here?” Buck swallowed heavily as he stared at Maddie. He hadn’t known where else to go. He just knew he couldn’t be at Eddie’s house. Not with how Eddie’s parents were staring at him. 

“Can I come in?” He asked. Maddie just nodded, moving out of the way to let Buck inside. “I didn’t know where else to go.”

“Are you okay?” Maddie asked, concern on her face. “Did you and Eddie get into a fight?” Buck sniffed. He had been fighting back tears since he had run out of Eddie’s house. It felt like everything was crashing down on him. It felt like he had made a terrible mistake and had ruined everything between him and Eddie. “Buck, talk to me.”

“I screwed up so bad,” Buck said, tears slipping down his cheeks. Maddie tugged him over to the couch, making him sit down. 

“Buck, you’re scaring me,” Maddie said, sitting down next to him. “Please tell me what’s wrong.” Buck looked up at his sister, wiping the few tears that had slipped down away.

“I did something really stupid,” Buck began with a sniff. “And it can ruin everything and I feel really stupid and I just need a place to stay for tonight.” Maddie stared at him, processing everything he had said. 

“Is this about Eddie?” Buck nodded and Maddie sighed. “Was I right when I showed up at your apartment a few weeks ago?” Buck nodded again and Maddie let out another sigh. “Okay, start from the beginning.”

So Buck did. He told Maddie about Eddie’s concerns after he got hurt. He told her about Eddie wanting to make Buck Christopher’s guardian, but being unable to because his parents were Christopher’s guardians. And he told her why they were really in a domestic partnership and how Eddie’s parents had shown up and were clearly upset about it.

“Oh god Buck,” Maddie said with a sigh. “I can’t even get into all the issues with everything you just told me.”

“I know I screwed up, okay?”

“But what I don’t understand,” Maddie said, continuing what she had tried to say from before. “Is why you can’t lie to Eddie’s parents the way you lied to me and everyone else.” Buck sighed. “Oh. Oh, Evan no.”

“What?”

“You’re in love with him, aren’t you?” Buck went to say something, went to argue that he couldn’t be in love with Eddie. But all of those arguments died on his tongue when he looked at Maddie. He couldn’t lie to Maddie anymore and he couldn’t lie about his feelings. 

He covered his face with his hands, learning forward on the couch. 

“I can’t be Maddie,” Buck said, fighting back more tears. “That’s not why we did this. Eddie asked me to do this because he trusts me. And if I tell him...if I try to cross that line, it would ruin everything.”

“Evan.”

“Maddie, please,” Buck said, looking at her with pleading eyes. “I know I am in way over my head and didn’t think any of this through, but please. I just need to stay here. Just for the night.”

“Fine,” Maddie said with a sigh. “But mostly because I’m exhausted and I need to go to sleep. But Buck, I think you need to think about your feelings and what you want out of this. I also think you need to consider why Eddie asked you, of all people, to be in a domestic partnership with him. Because this was not just for Christopher. ” She squeezed his arm before getting up. Once she was gone, Buck let out a sigh before settling back against the couch. He had a lot running through his head. He knew he needed to figure out his feelings and what he wanted. He knew he needed to talk to Eddie, but he couldn’t do it while Eddie’s parents were there. 

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and sighed, seeing no notifications on the screen. He knew if he kept his phone on then he would just stare at it all night. So, he turned it off, setting the phone on the coffee table. 

  
Then he laid down, hoping he could shut his very active brain off and get some sleep.

* * *

“You know I don’t owe either of you an explanation,” Eddie said with a huff as he stared at his parents. “Especially not after you showed up unannounced and chased Buck off.”

“Eddie, we’re your parents,” Helena said. “We should know what’s going on in your life. Especially when it concerns Christopher.”

“It’s my life,” Eddie said. “And that means I can make decisions on my own.” His parents just stared at him and Eddie sighed. “Buck and I are in a domestic partnership. I am making him Christopher’s guardian.”

“Absolutely not,” Helena said with a shake of her head. “Eddie, you made us Christopher’s guardians when he was born. You said you trusted us to care for him if anything happened to you.”

“Mom that was nine years ago,” Eddie said. “Before I knew better.”

“Knew better?” Ramon asked incredulously. “We were the only stable thing in that boy’s life for years. Between your service and Shannon…”

“Don’t you dare bring up Shannon right now,” Eddie said with a hiss, his hands gripping into fists. “I will not have you speaking ill of my son’s mother.”

“Eddie, is this because you got hurt?” Helena asked. “Because if anyone should take care of Christopher because you got hurt or...well, I don’t want to think about that. But, if anyone should take care of Christopher, it should be us. Not this Buck.”

“I don’t want Christopher ending up with you two!” Eddie shouted. “You coddle him when he is an independent kid who wants to try. You act like his CP is something he can’t handle. And worse, you act like I can’t raise my own son. I am aware that I made mistakes when he was born, but that does not make me a bad father. And that does not make me unfit either. The choices I make are the right ones for him.”

“This isn’t right Edmundo,” Ramon said with a shake of his head. “This domestic partnership? Giving this stranger rights to Christopher?”

“He is not a stranger,” Eddie said, trying to gain some composure. “And it is right. This domestic partnership with Buck is the best thing for all of us. He knows what Christopher needs. He loves my son more than anything. He…” Eddie thought about everything Buck had done for him and Christopher. He had agreed to a domestic partnership with Eddie. He had moved in with them. But beyond that, Buck always was looking out for both of them. Maybe it wasn’t so crazy for Eddie to have feelings for Buck. Because maybe, just maybe, Buck loved him back. 

“Eddie,” Helena started.

“I love him,” Eddie said, feeling a weight lifting off his chest as he admitted. “He is my partner and I love him and if you can’t accept that, then I don’t want you here.” Ramon went to say something, but Helena stopped him, placing her hand on his arm.

“We should talk in the morning.”

“It won’t change mom,” Eddie said. “This is who I am and this is who I love. It won’t change in the light of day.” Helena took a breath, ready to say something, when his dad stormed off. Eddie closed his eyes, hearing the front door open and shut. 

“We’re going to go to Pepa’s,” Helena said gently as Eddie looked at her. “I’ll call you in the morning.” Eddie just nodded as she left the living room. He let out a sigh as soon as he heard her leave the house. He didn’t know if his parents would ever really hear him or understand him, but he had said his piece. He had defended himself, his parenting, and his relationship. 

He dug his phone out of his pocket. He had told his parents how he felt about Buck, but now he needed to tell Buck.

“Pick up, pick up, pick up,” Eddie mumbled as the phone rang. He needed to talk to Buck. He needed this thing between them to stop being an act and start being real.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Oh, is that my cell phone ringing in the other room?” Chimney asked loudly, before quickly leaving the room. 
> 
> “He’s not subtle,” Buck said with an eye roll.

Buck fought back a groan as his eyes slowly opened. He could hear Maddie and Chimney in the kitchen, doing a bad job at keeping their voices down. Then again, it was their apartment and Buck didn’t really have a place to complain. But he wanted too, especially because he felt like he had just finally fallen asleep.

Buck felt exhausted. He had spent most of the night, tossing and turning on the couch. He couldn’t stop thinking about Eddie and what he wanted out of this poorly thought out plan. Did he want to be with Eddie in an actual relationship? And if he did, did Eddie want the same thing? 

He sat up slowly and sighed. Talking to Eddie meant a lot of things and he was scared of all of them.

“Morning Buckaroo,” Chimney called from the kitchen. Buck sighed before getting up. As soon as he reached the kitchen island, Maddie slid him a cup of coffee. “Didn’t think you’d ever want to sleep on my couch again.”

“Desperate times,” Buck said with a sigh as he took a long sip of his coffee. He noticed Maddie glance at Chimney. 

“Oh, is that my cell phone ringing in the other room?” Chimney asked loudly, before quickly leaving the room. 

“He’s not subtle,” Buck said with an eye roll.

“Well, I wanted to talk to you privately anyways,” Maddie said. “Because we didn’t finish our conversation last night.”

“Maddie,” Buck said with a sigh, before patting his pockets. When he realized he didn’t have his phone, he got up and walked over to the coffee table. 

“Buck, this isn’t something you can avoid anymore,” Maddie said, following after him. “You need to figure out what you want here. And you need to figure out what Eddie wants.” Buck just shook his head as he turned his phone on. He wanted to explain why he couldn’t just do that, why it wasn’t that easy because he had been an idiot instead of thinking this whole thing through. 

But then Buck grew silent, seeing all the notifications that popped up on his phone. 

“Oh.” He had twenty missed calls from Eddie. He also had several texts from Eddie, the texts ranging from asking him if he was okay, to asking him to come home. Buck felt something strike through his heart realizing that Eddie had referred to his house as their home. “I...I have to go.”

“Buck.”

“I have to go talk to Eddie.” Maddie smiled a little.

“Go,” She said and Buck nodded. He quickly pulled her into a hug and she chuckled. “Go already. You have some important conversations to have.”

“Thanks Mads,” Buck said, attempting to smile. She smirked before pushing him towards the door. Buck blew out a breath before leaving the apartment. He was going to talk to Eddie and figure this all out. 

He just needed to not chicken out between here and the house.

* * *

“Dad?” Christopher was sitting at the dining room table, a bowl of cereal in front of him. He had frowned when Eddie had told Christopher that Buck wasn’t home. “Why isn’t Buck here?”

“He’s just out, mijo,” Eddie said, trying to act like he hadn’t spent all night pacing and hoping Buck came home. He hadn’t, even though Eddie had called and texted him like a madman. Christopher frowned and tilted his head, watching Eddie. 

“Did grandma and abuelo say something?” Christopher asked. “Are they mad at Buck?”

“No,” Eddie said with a sigh. “They just don’t understand some things.” It was a complicated issue and Eddie didn’t know how to explain it to his son. After all, how do you explain to your kid that you weren’t actually in a relationship but had fallen in love with the person whom you were in a fake relationship with?

“Like what?” Christopher asked. Eddie just sighed before glancing over at the couch. He walked over and sat down. 

“Come here kid.” Christopher got up and walked over to Eddie. Once he was seated, Eddie wrapped an arm around his son. “Your grandparents don’t always understand me. They especially don’t understand the decisions I make.”

“So they’re not mad at Buck?” Eddie shook his head. “Were they mean to Buck?”

“No kiddo,” Eddie said, because technically his parents had never said anything nasty to Buck. They had just run him out of the house with their judgmental looks. “They just don’t understand why Buck and I are in a domestic partnership.”

“Well what don’t they understand?” Christopher asked. “You said you and Buck are partners now. Why is that confusing?”

“It just is,” Eddie said with a sigh. Christopher frowned. “Listen Chris, your grandparents don’t know Buck the way we do.”

“But Buck is great,” Christopher said with a pout. “I love Buck and so do you, dad. Isn’t that enough for grandma and abuelo?”

“Some things are more complicated than that,” Eddie said with a sigh. Christopher huffed as he leaned into Eddie. He tried not to think about what his son had just said or how it made his heart beat a little faster. He sucked in a breath, trying to calm his heart. Eddie just carded one of his hands through Christopher’s hair, focusing on that task instead. 

“Hey dad?” Christopher asked, glancing up at Eddie. “You do love Buck, right?” Eddie paused, his hand freezing. But then, he remembered what he had said to his mother the previous night and smiled. His heart was hammering in his chest, just thinking about how he felt about Buck. He didn’t need to hide from that anymore and he certainly didn’t need to lie to Christopher. 

“Yeah, mijo,” Eddie said, a warm feeling rushing through him. “I do.” He heard a soft gasp behind him and Eddie turned around. His eyebrows raised in surprise when he saw Buck standing there. And then, as Eddie stared at Buck and saw the shocked expression on his face, he realized Buck had heard him. “Hey kid, why don’t you put on a movie and we can have a little bit of a lazy Sunday?” Christopher looked back and forth between Eddie and Buck before nodding.

“Okay,” He said, grabbing the remote. 

“We’ll grab some snacks,” Eddie said before kissing the top of his son’s head. He looked at Buck, nodding towards the kitchen. Buck simply nodded as Eddie got up. As he walked towards the kitchen, he knew it was time to finally put everything out there. 

There was no more hiding from his feelings. It was time to lay it all out there and hope that Buck felt the same.

* * *

When Buck had gotten back to Eddie’s house, to their home as Eddie had called it in his texts, Buck didn’t know what to expect. But as he walked in, he could hear the echo of Eddie and Christopher talking. He had almost turned around and left, not wanting to interrupt. But he wasn’t going to chicken out. He had to talk to Eddie. 

He was going to just try and catch Eddie’s attention, without interrupting. But then, he realized they were talking about him. He was ready to back-pedal and hide in the kitchen until they were done, until something Christopher said caught his ear.

“You do love Buck, right?” Buck knew he shouldn’t listen. But he had to hear the answer. He had to know if this, finally talking to Eddie about his feelings, was worth it. 

“Yeah, mijo. I do.” Buck felt his mouth drop open, a gasp escaping past his lips. Eddie loved him. He had said so to Christopher. That made his heart beat a little faster as a few tears reached his eyes. Eddie looked back at him, clearly having heard Buck. Buck could see Eddie talking to Christopher, but he couldn’t hear him, his heart beat in his ears. All he could hear were Eddie’s words in his ears. 

Eddie loved him. Eddie loved him.  _ Eddie loved him. _

Eddie looked at him and nodded towards the kitchen. Buck could only nod wordlessly before following Eddie into the kitchen. Buck could still hear only Eddie’s words in his head as his heart slammed in his chest. Eddie loved him. 

“Buck?” Eddie’s hand on his arm brought Buck back to Earth. “You with me?”

“You love me?” Buck asked. Eddie just chuckled, a smile crossing his face. 

“Yeah Buck, I do.” Buck felt his breath catch in his throat again. “Living together, having you as my partner, I just realized how far I had fallen for you. And when you ran out of here last night, I realized I wanted you by my side all the time. I realized that I’m in love with you. And I know that’s not why we did all of this and I don’t even know how you feel but…”

Buck cut him off, colliding his lips with Eddie’s. 

It was like a bolt of lighting striking through him as he kissed Eddie. It didn’t even hold a candle to that kiss a few weeks ago when they first applied for the domestic partnership. This was, without a doubt, the best kiss Buck had ever experienced. It warmed him from head to toe and he didn’t want it to end. He wanted to kiss Eddie and only Eddie for the rest of his life. 

Eventually, they had to part, panting as they did.

“I love you too,” Buck gasped out, a few tears escaping. “I’ve been fighting against feeling that way because I didn’t want to cross any boundaries but I love you Eddie. I love you so much.”

“We’re a bunch of idiots, aren’t we?” Eddie asked, a smirk on his face. When Buck tilted his head, Eddie just chuckled. “If we had just been honest from the get-go, we could’ve been an actual couple all along.”

“I think we have been,” Buck said, his hands reaching for Eddie’s. Eddie’s fingers interlaced with Buck’s, that warm feeling still all encompassing. “I think we’ve been acting like a couple even before this and we just needed to wake up.”

“Well, I’m wide awake now,” Eddie said, closing the distance to kiss Buck again. Buck let go of Eddie’s hands, his hands coming up to frame Eddie’s face. He could feel himself falling further and further into the kiss, very interested in memorizing the feeling of Eddie’s lips against his.

“Dad! Buck!” They pulled apart, sheepish smiles on both of their faces. “You’re missing the movie!”

“I guess we should uh head back in there,” Buck said. Eddie chuckled and nodded before moving around the kitchen. 

“If we give him snacks from the hidden stash then he won’t even remember we were gone,” Eddie said with a wink as he grabbed a few items from one of the higher-up cabinets. “And you know, he has to go to sleep eventually.”

“Is there where I find out that you’re a total horn-dog?”

“Says the guy who stole a firetruck to have sex in it.” Buck gave Eddie a look and the brunette chuckled. 

“Why do you hate me?” Eddie rolled his eyes and crossed over to Buck. He simply smirked before pressing a chaste kiss to his lips. 

“I don’t hate you,” He said, smiling at the adoration on Buck’s face. “I love you.” Buck smiled, earning a grin from Eddie. “Now come on. Chris can get impatient.”

“Wonder where he gets that.” Eddie just rolled his eyes, but it didn’t hide the fondness in his eyes. He headed back towards the living room and Buck just followed, grinning harder than he ever had. 

Eddie loved him. And he loved Eddie. Somehow, everything had worked out better than Buck could have ever expected.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “That first morning...when I woke up, you were using my shoulder as a pillow. And I sort of freaked out and rolled away.” Eddie just chuckled. 
> 
> “We’re really stupid,” Eddie said with a shake of his head. 
> 
> “But at least we figured it out now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there! Thank you for reading my wonderful story. I really love this chapter, especially Eddie's conversation with his parents, so I hope you enjoy it too!

Buck sighed as his eyes slowly opened. He smiled, feeling an arm wrapped around him. He glanced over to his side and his shy little smile morphed to a grin when he saw Eddie pressed against him. This was real life. This was his life.

They had spent most of the day curled up on the couch with Christopher, watching movies. And when Christopher had gone to sleep (after asking that both Eddie and Buck read to him), Buck and Eddie had set out to talk. Of course, their conversation kept getting sidetracked because of the intoxicating need to kiss one another. 

Buck reached his hand out, gently pushing some of Eddie’s hair off his forehead. Then, his hand kept moving, gently caressing his cheek and jaw. He still couldn’t believe this was really happening, that they were really going to give this thing a try. And he also couldn’t believe how happy he felt. He thought he had known what to expect from a relationship. But neither of his past relationships felt like this. Neither of them had made him smile the way Eddie did.

“Feels nice,” Eddie mumbled as Buck’s fingers trailed up and down his arm. His eyes slowly opened, a smile stretching across his face. “Morning.”

“Morning,” Buck said, his hand resting on Eddie’s bicep. “I never saw you as much of a cuddler.”

“Well you’re like a furnace,” Eddie said, nuzzling closer to Buck. “I’ve been wanting to do this since you moved in.”

“You, uh, kind of did,” Buck said and Eddie gave him a look. “That first morning...when I woke up, you were using my shoulder as a pillow. And I sort of freaked out and rolled away.” Eddie just chuckled. 

“We’re really stupid,” Eddie said with a shake of his head. 

“But at least we figured it out now,” Buck said with a smile. Eddie nodded before closing the space between them, placing a tender kiss to Buck’s lips. Eddie pulled away and Buck pouted. 

“Chris will be up any second,” Eddie said. Buck huffed and Eddie chuckled. “Besides, we should get up since there’s something I have to do today.” Buck tilted his head and Eddie sighed. “I think I need to talk to my parents.”

“Even after how they reacted?” Eddie had told Buck what had happened after he had run off. He didn’t know if Eddie’s parents could accept their relationship. He personally didn’t care if they did.

“It’s less about them accepting this relationship and more about them accepting how I parent my kid,” Eddie said. “They’ve never actually believed that I could be a good dad. And if they can’t see that now, then I don’t know where we’ll stand.”

“You’re amazing dad, Eddie,” Buck said. “And if your parents can’t see that, then it’s their loss.”

“Thank you,” Eddie whispered before gently kissing Buck. Buck sighed into the kiss, that warm feeling still there. Eddie pulled away and let his forehead rest against Buck’s. Buck just smiled before letting out a sigh.

“I’ll start breakfast and you’ll get Chris up?” Eddie smiled before kissing Buck again, his hand coming up to cradle his face. “This is counterintuitive.”

“Just one more minute,” Eddie mumbled against his lips. And they continued to lie there, trading lazy kisses until they finally had to get up and start the day.

* * *

Eddie sighed as he pulled into the driveway of his Abuela’s house. He knew he needed to do this. He needed to stand up to his parents and get them to understand that he was a good dad. But it didn’t mean it would be easy. 

“Hey.” He glanced over at Buck. Buck reached his hand over, taking Eddie’s. “You can do this.” He just nodded, before glancing back at Christopher. His son smiled at him, relieving some of the tension Eddie was holding onto. Eddie just nodded before letting go of Buck’s hand and getting out of the car. He opened the door for Christopher, smiling as his son slid his crutches on his arm. 

“I’ve got it dad,” Christopher said, as he scooched forward on his seat until his crutches were touching the ground. Once he was safely on the ground, Eddie grinned. 

“Yeah you do kid,” Eddie said, ruffling his son’s hair. Christopher beamed at him before leading the way to the door. Christopher knocked once before the door opened. 

“Eddito, mi angel,” Isabel said with a smile. She kissed both of Eddie’s cheeks before learning down to do the same to Christopher. “And Buck! Mi otro nieto.” Buck smiled a little as she pressed a kiss to both of his cheeks as well. “Come in, come in.” She walked in with Christopher, listening intently as the boy started talking. 

“Did your Abuela just refer to me as her other grandson?”

“She sure did,” Eddie said with a smile. He didn’t realize how important it was for his Abuela to accept Buck, but knowing he did relieved Eddie in a way he didn’t know how to explain. They walked into the living room. Eddie tensed up when he saw his parents. 

“Buck, Christopher, you help me in the kitchen,” Isabel said, shepherding Christopher into her kitchen. “Buck, you can help me make the guacamole. You know my hands have trouble opening the avocados.” Buck glanced at Eddie who just nodded. Buck then followed Isabel and Christopher into the kitchen, leaving Eddie alone with his parents.

“Mom, Dad,” Eddie said, glancing at them. 

“We were surprised when you called,” Helena said. “I thought maybe you had written us off.”

“That all depends on how this conversation goes,” Eddie said and Helena nodded. Eddie noticed that his dad was avoiding his eyes. He sighed, knowing this was going to be tough, but knowing it was necessary. “Look, this isn’t about my relationship. Who I love is who I love, end of story.”

“Then what is this about?” Helena asked. 

“It’s about you two not believing in my ability to be a father,” Eddie said. “It’s about you both constantly judging the choices I make for my son. It’s about you two wanting to take my son away from me.”

“That wasn’t our intention,” Helena said. “You were overworking yourself. You still are. We just want what’s best for Christopher.”

“And what’s best for him is for him to be raised by his father,” Eddie implored, looking at his mother. “I know what’s best for him, I know what my son needs.” Helena went to say something but Ramon cleared his throat. He looked up and Eddie braced himself for the fight that was coming.

“You’re right.” Eddie’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “Edmundo, we made so many mistakes with you and your sisters. I wasn’t there when you all needed me. And I suppose I thought that I could make up for that with Christopher.”

“But dad, you don’t need to do that,” Eddie said.

“I know,” Ramon said, sighing. “I saw you as you came in. You’ve helped your son become so independent. You’re a good father, Edmundo.”

“Thank you dad.” Ramon nodded and Eddie felt some relief. His father had acknowledged his parenting skills. His dad had said he was a good dad.

“This relationship though,” Ramon said. “Edmundo, we don’t understand…”

“I don’t need you guys to understand,” Eddie said. “I just need you to respect my space, my relationship, and how I parent my son.”

“We won’t be perfect,” Helena said, crossing to Eddie. “But we’ll try.” Eddie nodded and she hugged him. When she stepped away, he glanced at his father. Ramon walked over and patted his son’s arm before going into the kitchen. Helena then sent Eddie a smile before following after him. Eddie sighed, any remaining tension disappearing.

“Eds?” He smiled when Buck came out of the kitchen. “Everything okay?” Eddie just took Buck’s hands, a small smile crossing Buck’s face. 

“Yeah Buck. Everything’s okay.” And then he tugged Buck towards the kitchen, a smile on his face and tension gone from his shoulders.

* * *

By the time they had left his Abuela’s house, the sun had gone down and Christopher was barely able to keep his eyes open. It had been a surprisingly good day. Sure, it felt like his parents were tiptoeing around some things, but he could see them at least trying. Especially when his mother asked Buck about Maddie, smiling a little as Buck talked about his sister and bragged about his niece and how he was going to spoil her rotten. His mother had just smiled, telling him that Eddie’s sisters loved doing that with Christopher. And his dad had tried too, interjecting when necessary, but also not watching Buck with those judgmental eyes.

It wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough.

“Time to wake up Chris,” Eddie said, gently tapping his son’s leg. Christopher just whined a little and held his arms out. “You sure?” The boy nodded and Eddie smiled before unbuckling him and picking him up. Christopher curled into him, letting his head rest on Eddie’s shoulder. Eddie glanced at Buck who was watching both of them with a smile. 

“Can you get the door?” Eddie asked, adjusting Christopher in his arms. Buck nodded, leading the way into the house. He couldn’t help but smile knowing this was their home, that they were going to have so many more days of coming home together, of being together. 

He carried Christopher down the hallway, the only sound being Buck’s footsteps in the kitchen, probably cleaning something up, and Christopher’s soft snores echoing off the walls of the hallway. 

It took a little longer to get Christopher into bed, since he had to wrangle his very tired son into his pajamas. But Christopher was out like a light as soon as his head hit the pillow. Eddie smiled, pressing a kiss to his son’s forehead before heading out of his room. He closed the door and let out a little sigh.

“Chris down?” He looked up, smiling when he saw Buck. 

“Yeah,” Eddie said before nodding towards their room. Buck followed him, a small smile on his face. “It’s only ten pm and I just want to go to bed.”

“Then let’s go to bed,” Buck said softly, closing the bedroom door. Eddie just smiled before moving closer to him. Buck’s hand landed at Eddie’s waist, a comforting gesture that had Eddie’s heart bursting with love. Buck just smiled and gently kissed him before stepping away. He started getting changed and Eddie watched him for a moment. He couldn’t believe how long they had gone without getting to this point. How had he watched Buck move around the house with comfort and not confessed his love right then and there. 

“Are you just going to stare at me?” Buck asked, a slight teasing in his voice. 

“It’s a nice view.” Buck snorted and tossed Eddie’s sleep clothes at him. Eddie chuckled as he grabbed the clothes, changing quickly. “Thank you, for today.”

“I’ve got your back,” Buck said, as he sat down on the bed. 

“And I’m so lucky for that.” Buck blushed a little at the sentiment, ducking his head and busying himself with pulling back the covers and getting comfortable. When he glanced at Eddie again, Eddie could see a faint dusting of pink on his cheeks. Eddie leaned across the bed, kissing Buck gently. Buck’s hand came up to his bicep, first deepening the kiss, then tugging Eddie down to the bed. Eddie let out a startled noise in response and pulled away.

“That didn’t go how I planned,” Buck said with a chuckle and Eddie snorted in response. Eddie just kissed Buck again before pulling away.

“You just wanted to prove that you’re stronger,” Eddie said.

“Oh, I can prove that in the gym.” Eddie rolled his eyes as he laid down. He glanced over at Buck, who just smiled at him. Eddie couldn’t help but feel grateful for Buck. Buck who had ignored his feelings for so long out of a need to help him and Christopher. Buck who gave up his apartment for a misguided plan. Buck who had come with him to his Abuela’s, even though Eddie said he didn’t have to. Buck, who loved him, pure and simple.

“Hey Buck?” Eddie asked, looping his arm around Buck and pulling him closer. Buck glanced at him, an adoring expression on his face. Eddie just smiled before he spoke again. “We’re really doing this?” Buck laughed, probably remembering how often they had said that to reassure each other. Buck closed the space between the two of them, pressing a tender kiss to Eddie’s lips. 

“We’re really doing this,” Buck whispered against his lips. “For the rest of our lives.”

“I like the sound of that,” Eddie said before kissing him again. And he really did. It didn’t matter how this had all started or how they had gotten to this point. They had made it. They were together, really together, and in love. That was really all that mattered.

Buck pulled away, a smile still on his face, before he let his head rest on Eddie’s shoulder. Eddie’s hand gently moved up and down Buck’s arms, smiling as the action started to lull both him and his partner to sleep.

Yeah, they were really doing this.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Well no one said they were smart,” Chimney said with a smirk. “They’re two halves of a whole idiot.”
> 
> “Says the guy who has to borrow brain cells from my sister,” Buck shot back. Chimney huffed at the comment and everyone just chuckled, even Maddie, who had to hide her laughter behind her hand. 
> 
> “We figured it out now,” Eddie said, bumping his shoulder against Buck’s. Buck just smiled at him, earning a grin from Eddie. 
> 
> “Ugh, get a room!” Chimney shouted, before being gently elbowed by Maddie. “God, were we ever like that?”
> 
> “Yes,” Hen said before Maddie could answer. “You’re still like that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter! Thank you everyone for reading and please enjoy!

**Epilogue- Two Months Later**

“I still can’t believe you two.” Buck and Eddie were standing in the living room of their home (which still thrilled Buck to call it theirs). They had finally come clean to their friends and family. Athena had lectured them about how stupid their plan had been and how they could’ve gotten arrested for fraud. But then she hugged them both with a smile on her face, so it was okay.

They were having everyone over for dinner, to properly celebrate their domestic partnership. All of the kids were outside, Harry, Denny, and Christopher playing a game while May watched over them and played with Nia. Everyone else, all the couples Eddie had realized, were inside, making fun of Buck and Eddie for their ridiculous plan.

“Well no one said they were smart,” Chimney said with a smirk. “They’re two halves of a whole idiot.”

“Says the guy who has to borrow brain cells from my sister,” Buck shot back. Chimney huffed at the comment and everyone just chuckled, even Maddie, who had to hide her laughter behind her hand. 

“We figured it out now,” Eddie said, bumping his shoulder against Buck’s. Buck just smiled at him, earning a grin from Eddie. 

“Ugh, get a room!” Chimney shouted, before being gently elbowed by Maddie. “God, were we ever like that?”

“Yes,” Hen said before Maddie could answer. “You’re still like that.” Chimney blanched at comment, but didn’t respond, knowing better than to argue with Hen. 

“Alright, alright,” Bobby said, knowing all four of them could bicker endlessly. “A toast.” Everyone raised their glasses. “To the happy, but slightly foolish couple.” Everyone laughed as they cheersed. Eddie glanced at Buck who was beaming at him. Eddie just smiled, wanting nothing more than to kiss Buck. And because they were together and not lying about their feelings anymore, he could. 

So, he closed the distance, kissing Buck soundly. Buck’s hand that wasn’t holding a drink came up to cradle Eddie’s face. Eddie forced himself to pull away since they were surrounded by their friends and family.

And even as everyone jeered them and told them to get a room, Eddie smiled, staring at Buck like he was the only person in the room.

* * *

“Today was really great.” Buck and Eddie were in the kitchen, putting away the last of their dishes. Everyone had left about an hour ago, since most of the kids were fading fast. Bobby and Athena had offered to stay and help clean up, but since Harry was pretty much falling asleep against May, who had just rolled her eyes fondly at her little brother, Eddie had told them that they could take care of it.

They had cleaned a little, Christopher attempting to stay awake at the kitchen table, happily talking with the two of them. But then the boy had started lolling towards the wall, a sign that he was exhausted. He had still asked to be read to before bed, Eddie’s heart swelling with love when Christopher asked if they could both read to him.

“It really was,” Eddie said with a smile. Buck put the last dish away before crossing to Eddie. Eddie just tugged Buck in by his shirt. He smiled as Buck wrapped his arms around him, burrowing closer to him. Eddie had learned, as their relationship progressed, how tactile Buck was. But Eddie didn’t mind, since he loved having Buck close to him, his body a warm weight, anchoring Eddie in this wonderful feeling of love. 

“This would be much more comfortable lying down,” Buck mumbled into Eddie’s neck. Eddie just chuckled and pressed a kiss into the side of Buck’s head. 

“I’ll move if you move.” Buck made a noise in response and Eddie smiled. “Or we can just stay here.” Buck just nodded, his fingers playing with the fabric of Eddie’s shirt. They stood there, in a comfortable silence, Buck playing with Eddie’s shirt, Eddie just humming contentedly at the feeling.

“By the way.” Buck looked up at Eddie, a slightly confused look on his face. “What was Christopher talking about earlier?” Eddie smiled as he stepped back, Buck’s hands falling away. When they had been putting Christopher to bed, he had mumbled something to Eddie. Eddie had just nodded to his son when he had spoken, earning an eyebrow raise from Buck. 

“What do you mean?” Eddie asked, deciding to play dumb for a moment. 

“Earlier,” Buck said, tilting his head. “When he asked if you were going to do ‘it” tonight.” Eddie just chuckled before heading into the dining room. Buck stayed in the kitchen, simply watching him. Eddie grabbed something from where he kept the mail before walking back over to Buck.

“He was talking about this,” Eddie said, handing the folder to Buck.

“Oh,” Buck said, clearly still a little confused. “Are these the guardianship papers?” Eddie just smiled and shrugged. Buck opened the folder, staring at it for a moment. As his eyes scanned the page, Eddie saw Buck’s eyes widen. “Eds.”

“I figured this was a better route,” Eddie said, reaching for Buck’s free hand.

“You...you want me to adopt Christopher?” Eddie just nodded, unsurprised when he saw tears spring to Buck’s eyes. “Eddie.”

“Buck, this whole thing started because I wanted to know that my son would always be taken care of,” Eddie explained, his thumb running over Buck’s knuckles. “I wanted to know that he would have someone who loved him but wouldn’t coddle him. Someone who loves him just as much as I do. And you do, Buck.”

“But...but adoption?” Eddie just smiled, taking the folder from Buck. He set it down on the kitchen table before tugging Buck towards him. 

“Buck, we’re partners,” Eddie said, staring into those perfect blue eyes that he loved so much. “We’re in this for the long haul. So yes, I want you to adopt Chris.”

“I love you so much,” Buck said before crashing his lips against Eddie’s. Eddie’s hands landed at Buck’s waist, pulling him so they were chest to chest. He was feeling a lot of things; love, happiness, like he was the luckiest guy in the world. 

“I love you too,” Eddie said, resting his forehead against Buck’s. “And is that a yes?”

“God yes,” Buck said with a sniff. “Yes, I’ll adopt Christopher. You guys are my family. You’re my everything.”

“You’re our everything too,” Eddie whispered. Buck smiled, gently pressing a tender kiss to Eddie’s lips. 

As they stood there in the kitchen, foreheads pressed together as they traded soft kisses, Eddie couldn’t be happier. Somehow, they had found their way to this happiness. Somehow, it had all worked out.

“Did you do it?” They both broke apart, surprised when they heard Christopher’s voice. The nine-year-old was standing in the doorway, his head tilted as he watched them. Eddie chuckled before nodding to his son. “So, we’re a family now?” 

“We’ve always been a family kid,” Eddie said, walking over to his son and squatting down. “Now it’s just official.” He glanced at Buck, who just beamed at both of them. “Now, you’re supposed to be in bed.”

“Fine,” Christopher said with a slight pout. “But both of my dads have to tuck me in.” Christopher glanced over at Buck, who sniffed a little, trying to hide that he was crying. Christopher walked over to Buck who bent down and hugged him tightly. “Love you dad.”

“Love you too kid,” Buck whispered. Eddie watched them, a smile on his face. Buck looked up at him, happy tears in his eyes. Eddie just chuckled before making his way over to them. He wrapped his arms around both of them, knowing he had his whole world in his arms. 

Eventually, they’d tuck Christopher back in bed, Christopher beaming as he called both of them dad. Eventually, Buck would get past the happy tears that seemed to keep falling, and sign the adoption papers. 

But for now, they were all content to stay in the kitchen, all curled into each other, as one happy family.

**Author's Note:**

> [Scream with me on my Tumblr?](https://doctornineandthreequarters.tumblr.com)


End file.
